AL East Winner Odds: AL East is the Most Wide-Open and Competitive Division in MLB

The AL East is continuing to trend in the same direction we’ve seen all season. The Tampa Bay Rays are the dominant force in the division and their odds continue to get shorter to clinch the division’s playoff berth. The Rays are the best team in the league, and a big reason for this is because of how complete their roster is offensively and defensively. The other teams in the division haven’t been able to hang with Tampa Bay, and bookmakers believe this trend will continue. We update this article every week to reflect the latest changes in the division. 

Check this article every Monday for the latest news around the division, and be sure to sign up with one of our top recommended MLB betting sites.

AL East Winner Odds 

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

AL East Winner - Our Pick

Last week, the Rays were priced at -190 to win the division. The odds have since shifted to -240. This means a bettor must risk $240 on Tampa Bay just to win $100. This isn’t worth playing as we’re just over a quarter of the way through the season. Although, the Rays are definitely our pick to win the division. If you didn’t buy the Rays earlier in the year when they had plus money odds, just sit back and watch the team dominate. As good as Tampa Bay is, don’t force a future bet at -240.

Tampa Bay Rays -240 on FanDuel Sportsbook

The Rays payroll isn’t high, but their team is the best in baseball. Tampa Bay has dominated within a division filled with playoff teams. There is a strong possibility that the three Wild Card teams could come from the AL East, and this would make Tampa Bay’s dominance even more impressive. The Rays started the season with a massive winning streak, and they’ve reverted back to the mean. However, their average is still much better than every other team in baseball. 

Yandy Diaz has been the team’s best hitter, leading the team in batting average at .327 and home runs with 12. Randy Arozarena has also been spectacular with 11 homers and 39 RBI. These two have been joined by Wander Franco, who could be the most talented young star in the sport. Franco is the team’s leader in hits and doubles. Each one of these players bring a different style to the table, and it has been the reason the offense is so good.

New York Yankees +500 on FanDuel Sportsbook 

The New York Yankees have stayed stable at +500 odds over the past two weeks. New York had a slow start to the season, and they’ve picked it up, but they’re still not on the Rays' level. If the season ended today, New York would be in the playoffs as a Wild Card team.

The Yankees are 32-23 and seven games back in the division. This is a gap they can close, but they need to be flawless throughout the remainder of the regular season. Tampa Bay has shown no sign of slowing down, which puts the pressure on New York. The best player for the Yankees has been Aaron Judge.

There were doubts if Judge could maintain his record setting pace from 2022, but he is living up to his big money contract. The outfielder leads the league in OPS at 1.031 and has recorded 15 homers with 35 RBI.

Baltimore Orioles +750 via FanDuel Sportsbook

The Baltimore Orioles are finally starting to get some respect in the mind of bookmakers. It’s not as much as they deserve after their tremendous start to the season, but it’s just the beginning. If Baltimore keeps winning, look for their odds to continue to get shorter to win the AL East. Baltimore is 34-19 which is the second best record in baseball and they’re just four games back of the Rays. This deficit can be cut in one weekend, and for the longest time, the Orioles were picked fourth to win the AL East.

Last week, Baltimore was +1200 and they’re now down to +750. This is still a line worth sprinkling because of Baltimore’s record. The Orioles don’t have a high payroll and they’re young, but this doesn’t mean they don’t have a realistic shot to win the division. The Orioles have seven young players who have stepped up on offense. Austin Hays and Ryan Mountcastle have been two of the most consistent hitters on the team. The pitching needs work, but Baltimore has proven they can survive with wings like Kyle Gibson. 

Toronto Blue Jays +900 via DraftKings Sportsbook 

The Blue Jays have been playing worse than their record shows. The team is 28-26 which is respectable in the scheme of baseball, but they’re currently in last place in the AL East by 10.5 games. The Red Sox hold a 0.5 game lead over Toronto, which is embarrassing when you look at the talent on their roster. They should be playing much better than they are behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. 

The biggest issue for Toronto this season has been their pitching inability. They have a bunch of average pitchers and nobody has really taken the lead as the ace. Alek Manoah, who was supposed to be one of the team’s stars, has a 5.53 ERA with a 1.79 WHIP. That’s one of the biggest reasons the team that was expected to win the division, is 10.5 games back with a lot of games left to be played.  

Boston Red Sox +4000 via FanDuel Sportsbook 

The Red Sox were +3000 last week and they’re now +4000 to win the AL East. Boston is in a bridge year, so them being 10 games back isn’t much of a surprise. However, they’re alive in the Wild Card race. If Boston competes for a Wild Card spot, it would be a success with their current roster.

The Red Sox have limited offensive talent, but this group isn’t the problem. The pitching staff has been hard to watch at times. Chris Sale is the ace of the staff, and he isn’t anything close to his Cy Young form. The Red Sox are also trying to figure out what works in the rotation, so they’ve been doing a lot of experimentation. 

How to Place a Futures Bet on the AL East Division

Future bets are when you wager on an event that isn’t immediately occurring. The best part about future bets is the odds you receive in the markets. The reason the odds are longer is that there is more time between the bet being and the payout. For example, if you bet the Blue Jays to win the AL East, we won’t know the outcome until September. 

MLB futures can be placed on nearly everything within the sport. You can bet division winners, league winners, the World Series champion, awards, and props on platforms like DraftKings Sportsbook. To place an MLB future, you can go to WSN and pick a sportsbook of your choice. Our exclusive links will take you to the sportsbook of your choice, and you can bet on any market you desire. Sportsbooks have different lines for all markets so remember to pick the