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The 2024 MLB pennant races are heating up as we head into the playoffs for both the American and National Leagues. This year’s postseason should be terrific, with no clear-cut frontrunner to win the World Series in either league.
For a deeper dive into this season’s odds, check out our breakdown of the MLB division odds and predictions, or if you’re looking ahead, check out our World Series odds and predictions.
If you’re looking to bet on the 2024 MLB postseason, consider visiting top sports betting sites to get in on the action.
Without further ado, let’s figure out which teams will ultimately square off in the 2024 Fall Classic, shall we?
2024 American League Pennant Odds
| AL Pennant Odds | AL Pennant Odds |
|---|---|
| New York Yankees +175 | Houston Astros +350 |
| Cleveland Guardians +400 | Baltimore Orioles +450 |
| Kansas City Royals +1000 | Detroit Tigers +1000 |
American League Playoff Schedule
- AL Wild Card Round: October 1 – October 4
- AL Divisional Round: October 5 – October 12
- AL Championship Series: October 14 – October 22
2024 American League Playoff Series
The American League has accounted for back-to-back World Series champions and 4 of the last 7 winners overall. However, there will be a new AL champion this year after the Texas Rangers failed to qualify for the postseason.
The race for the 2024 AL pennant is wide open. The New York Yankees are listed as early +175 favorites, but this team – just like every other team in the AL – comes with some question marks. The Houston Astros (+350) should certainly never be counted out given their long track record of playoff success over the past decade, while up-and-comers like the Cleveland Guardians and Baltimore Orioles will try to break through.
Let’s take a deeper dive into each Wild Card Round series.
Detroit Tigers vs. Houston Astros
| Series Odds | Series Odds |
|---|---|
| Houston Astros (-180) | Detroit Tigers (+150) |
There are plenty of narratives ahead of the Houston Astros vs. Detroit Tigers first-round series. Detroit is managed by former Houston skipper AJ Hinch, who was infamously fired by the Astros on the heels of the 2017 sign-stealing scandal. The Astros have advanced to the American League Championship Series in 7 consecutive seasons, while this will be the Tigers’ first playoff appearance since 2014.
Detroit Tigers Breakdown
The Tigers secured their spot in the playoffs with a torrid finish to the campaign, led by ace Tarik Skubal, who will start in Game 1 against Houston. Skubal – who’s a lock to win AL Cy Young – is the reason the Tigers will have a puncher’s chance in this series. The left-hander finished the regular season with an 18-4 record. He won the AL “pitching triple crown” by leading the senior circuit in wins, ERA, and strikeouts.
One issue for Detroit in this series is their reliance on left-handed hitters. Several of the Tigers’ best hitters are lefties, including Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, and Colt Keith. That could play right into the hands of the Astros, who will start lefties Framber Valdez and Yusei Kikuchi in Games 1 and 3, respectively.
Houston Astros Breakdown
What more is there to be said of the Astros? Houston’s dynastic run started with the franchise’s first-ever World Series title in 2017, and they followed it up with another championship in 2022. The Astros have won the American League pennant 4 times in the last 7 years, as well. Betting against Houston to advance to the World Series hasn’t been a profitable endeavor in recent years.
Whether Yordan Alvarez will be ready for the playoffs is a major concern, of course. Alvarez injured his knee late last week, though he reportedly avoided a serious injury. If the slugger suits up, I think the Tigers are going to have a very difficult time keeping pace with Houston’s high-powered offense.
Detroit Tigers vs. Houston Astros Prediction
Houston is the favorite going into the series due to their playoff experience and depth. The Tigers have been a pleasant surprise this year, but the Astros’ seasoned roster should give them the edge in what should be a fun series.
Detroit is a team trending in the right direction, but they won’t have Skubal on the mound in every game. The Astros look like the best bet to take this series at the -180 odds.
MLB Bet: Houston Astros -180
Kansas City Royals vs. Baltimore Orioles
| Series Odds | Series Odds |
|---|---|
| Baltimore Orioles (-170) | Kansas City Royals (+140) |
The Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles are 2 of the youngest teams in the American League, and this has the potential to be a fun series. However, neither team enters the postseason in peak form.
Baltimore has struggled considerably after an extremely underwhelming trade deadline. Kansas City, meanwhile, was somewhat lucky to sneak into the playoffs. The Royals benefited greatly from the epic collapse of the Minnesota Twins down the stretch.
Kansas City Royals Breakdown
The Royals won’t generate a ton of buzz heading into the playoffs. Like Detroit, this snaps a long playoff drought for KC. The Royals are appearing in the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series back in 2015.
Bobby Witt Jr. is the main attraction here, but Kansas City does feature a couple of excellent pitchers atop the rotation, as well. Cole Ragans has become a breakout star for the Royals since coming over in a trade from the Rangers last season, while Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha have been 2 of the best buys of last year’s free-agent market.
Baltimore Orioles Breakdown
Many viewed the Orioles as World Series contenders after their offseason trade for ex-Brewers ace Corbin Burnes. While Burnes has enjoyed a strong first season in Baltimore, he hasn’t been a complete shutdown ace over the past few months. Burnes posted an ugly 7.36 ERA during the Orioles’ August swoon, but he bounced back with a 1.20 mark across 5 outings in September.
Will the O’s slug enough to get past Kansas City? Baltimore finished with 235 home runs this season, which was the 2nd-most in baseball behind the Yankees’ 237. This team has some question marks at the back end of the bullpen, however. The Craig Kimbrel experiment was a massive failure, while new closer Seranthony Dominguez has had some hiccups since coming over from the Phillies at the trade deadline.
Kansas City Royals vs. Baltimore Orioles Prediction
While the Orioles will enjoy home-field advantage in this series, I like the value on the Royals to pull the upset. Kansas City has sneaky-good starting pitching, and former Oakland Athletic Lucas Erceg was a terrific addition to the bullpen. Give me the Royals at +140 to get past the O’s.
MLB Bet: Kansas City Royals +140
Who Wins the American League Pennant?
It’s hard to overlook Houston’s playoff experience. The star-heavy Yankees are predictably the early favorites to win the American League, but we haven’t seen the Bronx Bombers in the Fall Classic since 2009. That streak will come to an end at some point, but I don’t think they’re quite as dominant as the AL pennant odds may indicate.
I’d much rather take the extra value that comes with the Astros at +350 than the Yankees at +175 to win the American League.
MLB Bet: Houston Astros (+350)
2024 National League Pennant Odds
Continue to monitor the latest MLB odds for the National League Pennant race:
| NL Pennant Odds | NL Pennant Odds |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers +175 | Philadelphia Phillies +220 |
| San Diego Padres +450 | Atlanta Braves +900 |
| Milwaukee Brewers +900 | New York Mets +1000 |
National League Playoff Schedule
- NL Wild Card Round: October 1 – October 4
- NL Divisional Round: October 5 – October 12
- NL Championship Round: October 13 – October 22
2024 National League Playoff Series
The National League playoff matchups are set. The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves both punched their postseason tickets after playing a doubleheader against one another on Monday, which left the Arizona Diamondbacks on the outside looking in.
So, we’ll have a new National League champion. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the early favorites, but that seems to be the case every October. LA has won the NL pennant just twice (2017, 2020) in the last 35 years, so they’re hardly a safe bet at the +175 odds. The Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres are also primary contenders, while the other 3 teams face longer odds.
New York Mets vs. Milwaukee Brewers
| Series Odds | Series Odds |
|---|---|
| Milwaukee Brewers (-135) | New York Mets (+105) |
New York Mets Breakdown
Despite a roller-coaster season, the New York Mets managed to clinch a Wild Card spot. This was originally slated to be a rebuilding season in Queens, yet the Mets managed to defy preseason prognostications and sneak their way into the postseason.
The Mets are expected to start right-hander Luis Severino in Game 1 of their series against the Milwaukee Brewers, while the Brew Crew will counter with Freddy Peralta. The pitching edge clearly goes to Milwaukee in this series, and they’ll also hold the coveted home-field advantage.
This Mets lineup isn’t to be taken lightly, however. New York finished 4th among NL teams in home runs (207), 5th in runs scored (768), and 6th in slugging percentage (.415).
Milwaukee Brewers Breakdown
The Brewers lost Corbin Burnes (trade) and Brandon Woodruff (injury) last offseason, but they didn’t skip a beat. Milwaukee cruised its way to an NL Central title in its first season with Pat Murphy leading the way, and they’re a potentially underrated pennant contender entering the postseason.
The playoffs are all about pitching, and the Brewers do have a solid bullpen backing up their starters. Peralta is the closest thing to an ace Milwaukee has in its rotation, though, and less-proven commodities like Aaron Civale and Tobias Myers will have to step up if this team is to make a deep run this October.
Milwaukee is favored to get past the Mets in this series, but I’m far from sold on their chances of giving more talented teams like the Dodgers, Phillies, and Padres a sweat in the later rounds.
New York Mets vs. Milwaukee Brewers Prediction
This series could be closer than the early odds indicate. New York has a stable of veteran hitters, while Milwaukee is a much younger roster top to bottom. The Brewers are also without Christian Yelich, who’s done for the season after suffering a back injury earlier this summer.
I don’t think either team is a likely candidate to represent the National League in the World Series, but I like the value on the Mets to win this Wild Card Round matchup.
MLB Bet: New York Mets (+105)
Atlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres
| Series Odds | Series Odds |
|---|---|
| San Diego Padres (-185) | Atlanta Braves (+155) |
Atlanta Braves Breakdown
The Braves were baseball’s best team in 2023, but they took a rather large step back this season. Atlanta did enough to clinch a playoff berth, but they’ll face a stiff test with a best-of-3 series in San Diego this week.
The Braves have injury issues, as well. Ronald Acuna Jr. is out for the season, while likely NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale is expected to miss this series with a back injury. Sale’s absence is a huge blow to a rotation that was already lacking depth. With Max Fried, Reynaldo Lopez, and Charlie Morton all on short rest, Atlanta is going to have to dive deep into its rotation to find a starter for Game 1 of this series.
Anything can happen in a short series – especially in a sport as unpredictable and random as baseball – but the Braves are facing a very uphill climb in this matchup.
San Diego Padres Breakdown
The Padres are entering the playoffs with momentum, especially behind star players like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. Their offense has the potential to carry them far, but their pitching depth will be tested.
That San Diego improved this season after losing Juan Soto, Blake Snell, and Bob Melvin last offseason is a testament to the impressive depth AJ Preller has built in this organization.
Machado rebounded from a slow start to post an MVP-caliber campaign, while Tatis recently returned from a long-term injury. Jurickson Profar is fresh off of a breakout season, while the rotation has become a major strength.
Frankly, no team in the NL has as much rotation depth as the Padres do between Dylan Cease, Joe Musgrove, Michael King, Yu Darvish, and Martin Perez. San Diego won’t have to go 5-deep in these short series, but they’re one of the few teams that can.
Atlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres Prediction
I think this series could be over quickly. I expect the Padres to sweep the Braves and advance to a highly-anticipated showdown with the Dodgers in the next round. Unfortunately, there’s minimal value in betting on the Padres to get past Atlanta at the -185 odds.
MLB Bet: San Diego Padres (-185)
Who Wins the National League Pennant?
The Dodgers still have ample talent between Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman at the top of the lineup, but they’ve been crushed by injuries to the pitching staff. All of Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, and Gavin Stone are currently sidelined, and only Kershaw has a chance of returning at some point this October.
The Phillies spent most of the season top of the NL standings, but a September swoon certainly hurt my confidence in their chances to win it all for the first time since 2008.
As of now, I’d say the Padres are the team to beat in the Senior Circuit. At +450 to win the pennant for the first time since 1998, we’re getting excellent value on what I think is the best team in the NL at this point.
MLB Bet: San Diego Padres (+450)
Past MLB Pennant Winners
| Year | Last 10 AL Pennant Winners | Last 10 NL Pennant Winners |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Texas Rangers | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 2022 | Houston Astros | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 2021 | Houston Astros | Atlanta Braves |
| 2020 | Tampa Bay Rays | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2019 | Houston Astros | Washington Nationals |
| 2018 | Boston Red Sox | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2017 | Houston Astros | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2016 | Cleveland Guardians | Chicago Cubs |
| 2015 | Kansas City Royals | New York Mets |
| 2014 | Boston Red Sox | San Francisco Giants |
