MLB Betting – Division Races Coming Down To The Wire

American League East
Odds: New York Yankees -155, Tampa Bay Rays +115

The American League East has been a two-horse race all season long but you might be surprised by the two horses. Yes, the World Series Champion New York Yankees are in control but the team that is chasing them is not the Boston Red Sox; it’s the Tampa Bay Rays.

The two teams will face each other seven more times before the year is finished with three contests in Tampa Bay and four in New York. That alone might be the difference.

But bettors might be inclined to take the Rays as the underdog here. The Rays will have five more home games down the stretch of the season and while the Yankees still have to face their rivals, the Red Sox, Tampa Bay finishes up with the Los Angeles Angels, Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners.

Pick: Rays +115

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National League East
Odds: Philadelphia Phillies -175, Atlanta Braves +135

For a third straight year, the Philadelphia Phillies are making a hard charge in September. Only this time, that team that is choking in front of them is the Atlanta Braves and not the New York Mets.

The Braves are just 4-7 in their last 11 games and now find themselves trailing the Phillies by a full game. Meanwhile, the Phillies have lost just four times in their last 17 games.

The difference-maker has once against been Ryan Howard, who is hitting .319 with five home runs and 14 RBI’s this month. With the Phillies streaking and the Braves fading, the bet here has to be the reigning National League champs.

Pick: Philadelphia Phillies

National League West
Odds: San Francisco Giants +150, San Diego Padres +160, Colorado Rockies +190

The San Diego Padres had been leading the National League West throughout most of the year but the San Francisco Giants have caught them in September. A lot of people were wondering if the Padres were a mirage and it appears that the MLB betting community was correct. A 10-game losing streak from late August to early September emphasized that.

The Padres are +160 but they aren’t the popular pick here. Nor should they be. They are a fading outfit that has just run out of gas. More importantly, many of the players on their team aren’t used to this type of race in September.

Meanwhile, the Colorado Rockies are. They have won 10 straight games to close to within a 1.5 games of the two leaders and they aren’t done yet. They still have three games against both the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres.

As tempting as it is to pick them, the Giants have the easiest schedule the rest of the way. They do have three games at Colorado, but aside from that they have series against the Dodgers, Brewers and Diamondbacks at home, and a trip to Wrigley Field to face the Cubs for three games.

Pick: Giants +150