MLB American League Pennant, Division Future Odds: White Sox, Blue Jays Lead Pack

The Blue Jays and White Sox have the best odds at SI Sportsbook to win the American League pennant, while the Astros are favored to win the AL West.

Opening Day is just two days away!

That means it’s time to place your AL futures bets! Often the best value is before the first pitch of the season.

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Here are the current American League pennant odds at SI Sportsbook:

Blue Jays +400
White Sox +400
Astros +450
Yankees +600
Rays +650
Red Sox +1000
Angels +1000
Mariners +1300
Twins +2000
Tigers +2200
Rangers +3500
Guardians +4000
Royals +5000
Athletics +9000
Orioles +20000

Check the Latest Odds and Lines at SI Sportsbook

Lynne Sladky/AP

The Astros at +450 odds is decent value for the reigning AL Champs.

Houston led the league in batting averages, runs and RBIs last year, and its lineup is mostly unchanged. OK, sure - the Astros lost Carlos Correa. His defense alone could have won them a few games, but a strong core remains intact—including the reigning AL batting champ in Yuli Gurriel and a healthy Alex Bregman. Young stars Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker will continue to mash, while veterans Jose Altuve and Michael Brantley will anchor the lineup with their steady experience.

Justin Verlander is back and he’s looking good in camp. Quite simply: These guys are used to winning, and winning in the postseason. The pathway to the playoffs isn’t too tricky (next up in the AL West is the Angels at +1000), and +450 is still decent value.”

The White Sox (+400) and the Blue Jays (+400) are also good picks with young, talented core players and good pitching rotations, though they have less postseason experience. The Jays hit the most home runs in 2021, and finished top three in batting average, runs scored, and RBIs. They lost the AL Cy Young winner in Robbie Ray and shortstop Marcus Semien, but this team will be hard to beat if it has a healthy George Springer and receives another dominant season from Vlad Guerrero, Jr.

MLB Power Rankings Entering Opening Day

Though the Yankees didn’t make any big moves in free agency, there is some value in taking them at +600 to win the AL Pennant. Why? Experience. As much as Yankees fans may choose to wallow in their losses, the fact is the Yankees are a winning ball club, making it to the postseason in six of the last seven seasons.

The Red Sox at +1000 odds is also good value for a team that has reached the postseason in four of the last six seasons, winning the AL pennant and World Series once in that span. The Sox scored the fifth-most runs and posted the second-best slugging percentage (.449) in the league last year. The addition of Trevor Story outweighs the loss of Hunter Renfroe, and the Red Sox could surprise us once again.

Can you imagine full seasons from Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and Anthony Rendon, a bounce-back season for Noah Syndergaard and a breakout season from Jo Adell? If you can, pull the lotto ticket for the Angels at +1000.

Now, let’s break down the divisions.

Lynne Sladky/AP

AL East Odds

Blue Jays +165
Yankees +225
Rays +270
Red Sox +500
Orioles +20000

I have to say I am tempted to throw $100 on the Orioles here for a life-changing payout, but Guerrero told me that’s not in the feature film.

I like the Jays to win the division, but at +165, I don’t love the value. My pick here is for the Red Sox at +500 odds, who could easily sneak their way in. Yankees and Rays fans also can find some value in betting their teams.

AL Central Odds

White Sox -222
Tigers +550
Twins +550
Guardians +900
Royals +1500

The White Sox are the clear favorites here, and they should be. They have a complete team—great hitting and strong pitching. But I am not laying $222 to win $100.

If I’m betting this division, I am taking the Twins (+550) who made some big plays in free agency, adding Carlos Correa, Sonny Gray, and yes- even Gary Sanchez. If Byron Buxton can actually stay healthy, this team can give the White Sox some competition.

AL West Odds:

Astros -188
Angels +300
Mariners +500
Rangers +1600
Athletics +2000

There’s absolutely no value in betting the Astros to win this division, but I would be willing to sprinkle a few dollars on both the Angels and the Mariners. The Angels just need everyone to be healthy at the same time.

The Mariners made a lot of moves in the offseason, and even made a wild-card push last year. With the reigning AL Cy Young winner, Robbie Ray, now aboard, as well as new additions Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez, the Mariners could surprise us all.

Check the Latest Odds at SI Sportsbook

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