2022 NL East Betting Pick
There’s a strong argument to be made for the NL East being the most competitive division in baseball. With an expanded playoff field of six, it’s not unimaginable for this division to send three teams to the postseason. But who will win the division title outright (and possibly earn a first-round bye)? The best online sportsbooks have the NL East betting odds close for the top-three contenders (though, a fourth is sneaking up):
It’s early, but for what it’s worth the Mets have jumped out to the second-best record in baseball. New York certainly has the talent to win out, but alas, this is the Mets we’re talking about — a franchise that’s prone to choking more than any other in recent years. Longtime MLB bettors all have their how-the-Mets-burned-me-this-time story, but you know what, we’re going to let bygones be bygones because New York is our betting pick.
To be fair, much of the Mets’ “choking” can also be attributed to downright bad luck. After leading the division throughout 2021, they faltered down the stretch while its two best players — Francisco Lindor and Jacob deGrom — were on the injury list. And to be fair, deGrom is still on that list for the foreseeable future. But once he’s back, which we have to believe will happen at some point this season, New York has a strong case for being the best pitching rotation in all of baseball.
As of this writing date, the starting trio Chris Bassitt, Carlos Carrasco, and Tylor Megill have collectively allowed two earned runs in 30-plus innings pitched — a wild number. Ironically, the big offseason signing, Max Scherzer, has been the Mets’ starter roughed up most. But we’re not worried. Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young winner, is still elite. In fact, deGrom and Scherzer could be the best one-two pitching punch in the sport if the former is healthy.
The Mets’ are for real, folks. This is the best team they’ve assembled in the Steve Cohan era and if anything, recent disappointment has just primed them for a division and possible NL-title run in 2022. Drop any preconceived notions about New York’s other team and bet on the Mets here.
2022 NL Central Betting Pick
Unlike the NL East, the top betting sites for baseball are all in agreement: the NL Central division crown is a two-horse race between the Brewers and Cardinals. None of the other three division teams have remotely realistic odds of winning the division, as seen below:
| Team |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Brewers | -185 | -185 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +185 | +185 |
| Chicago Cubs | +1000 | +1000 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +1800 | +1800 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +10000 | +10000 |
We’re not going to pull any punches here: we’re taking Milwaukee. More than anything else, the Brewers are just reliable. They’ve made the postseason four seasons in a row, two of those as the NL Central winner. And just like those teams, this year's iteration of the team is incredibly well balanced. Maybe they don’t have flashy superstars, but they don’t need ‘em.
Pitching is a particular strong suit of the ball club. The Brewers have three starting aces in NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta. Then in the bullpen, closer Josh Hader is as good as they get.
If there’s an X-factor for the franchise it’s former MVP, Christian Yelich. Let’s be honest, Yelich has fallen off the past two seasons. Injuries in 2021 held him to a mere .248 batting average and nine home runs. Despite that, the Brewers still won the division so just imagine how they could fare with Yelich playing even at 80 percent of his old MVP self? It’s a bet worth taking because at only 30 years old, Yelich is far from washed-up in our book.
2022 NL West Betting Pick
Another season, another year as the Dodgers as the runaway betting favorites in the NL West, and the World Series for that matter. Here's a look at the current divisional odds:
| Team | | |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | -275 | -275 |
| San Diego Padres | +400 | +400 |
| San Francisco Giants | +500 | +500 |
| Colorado Rockies | +4000 | +4000 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +15000 | +15000 |
Look, we’ll keep this short: LA is the best team on paper across the league. By a mile. You probably already knew that, but it’s worth reiterating. Only this franchise would be able to lose key pieces like the aforementioned Scherzer, Corey Seager, and Kenley Jansen, and not miss much of a beat. They’ve raced off to MLB’s best record and we foresee that distinction remaining ‘til the end of 2022.
It took San Francisco winning an MLB-high 107 games to end the Dodgers’ eight-year division win streak. That’s not happening again, which should pave a path for LA to take the divisional title with relative ease.
How To Bet On 2022 MLB Divisional Futures?
Alright, now that you know who to bet on to win the 2022 MLB divisional championships, it’s time to lock in these bets — and right now when the season is early and betting lines are still relatively competitive. To do just that, visit one of the top-rated betting sites listed underneath. These same sites have betting lines for the AL divisions so you’re completely covered betting-wise!
