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MLB Playoff Odds: Cardinals Taking Over NL Central, Padres Still in Flux

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With deadline day upon us, MLB futures odds will start becoming more of a focus.

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While the lion’s share of attention will be on World Series odds, there is value (and intrigue) in MLB playoff odds — especially with the postseason expanded to include an additional team this season.

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Although some teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, Mets, and Astros are basically guaranteed a spot, other teams such as the San Diego Padres made massive moves at the deadline to increase their chances. Let’s take a look:

Odds to make the MLB postseason

How the odds work is very simple: “Yes” means that they advance to the MLB postseason (as a division winner or a wild card), while “No” means they miss the playoffs… so better luck next year. At this point in the season, these odds aren’t readily available at all books but they can be found if you dig.

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Team Yes Odds
St. Louis Cardinals -3,000
Seattle Mariners -1,050
Toronto Blue Jays -900
Philadelphia Phillies -390
San Diego Padres -300
Tampa Bay Rays -240
Cleveland Guardians -210
Milwaukee Brewers -150
Chicago White Sox +110
Minnesota Twins +170
Baltimore Orioles +600
Boston Red Sox +1,000
San Francisco Giants +2,200
Arizona Diamondbacks +5,000
Chicago Cubs +5,000
Colorado Rockies +5,000
Kansas City Royals +5,000
Los Angeles Angels +5,000
Miami Marlins +5,000
Texas Rangers +5,000
New York Yankees OTB
Los Angeles Dodgers OTB
New York Mets OTB
Houston Astros OTB
Atlanta Braves OTB
Detroit Tigers OTB
Pittsburgh Pirates OTB
Cincinnati Reds OTB
Oakland A’s OTB
Washington Nationals OTB

Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of August 23, 2022.

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Note: FanDuel is offering only Yes wagers at the time of this writing.

To no surprise, the Yankees, Astros, and Dodgers — all at least eight games clear of second place in their division in the MLB standings — are officially off the board. A handful of other teams are off the board, mainly because there’s simply no serious chance of them making it to October baseball.

As we get closer and closer to the postseason, the longest odds you can find are +5,000, with a few select longshots available at that number.

Hottest/coldest MLB teams entering this week

Who’s hot

Winners of eight straight entering play on Tuesday, the St. Louis Cardinals appear to be on the verge of securing a postseason berth, and oddsmakers agree as they’ve gone from -550 to -3,000 in the last week. The Seattle Mariners look poised to break their postseason slump by playing in October for the first time in more than two decades with an 88.9% chance of reaching the playoffs as their odds have gone from -550 to -1,050 in a week’s time.

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Who’s not

When the San Diego Padres acquired Juan Soto and Josh Bell at the trade deadline, it was seen as an all-in push that included this season and wasn’t just to build for next year. Well, the Friars are 5-5 in their last 10 and only have a realistic shot at a Wild Card with the division firmly out of reach. They trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by 17.5 games. Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox are now offering more money for a playoff berth, which would have been out of the question on Opening Day. They’re only three games behind the Guardians, so a late dash for the division title isn’t out of the question, but they haven’t been good.

More Covers MLB futures analysis

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MLB Playoffs 2022 Format

The MLB playoffs expanded for the 2022 season, adding an extra wild card to both the AL and NL, making it a total of 12 teams in the postseason.

The new format will see the top two division winners in each league (Seeds 1 and 2) get a first-round bye, while the third-best division winner (Seed 3) will host the third wild card (Seed 6) — and the two remaining wild cards (Seeds 4 and 5) will face off — in a three-game series.

Following the Wild Card Round, the No. 1 seed will face the winner of the two wild cards (Seeds 4/5), while the No. 2 seed will face the No. 3 vs. No. 6 winners in the Divisional Round.

In the event that the second-best record in the league doesn’t come from a division winner (eg the San Francisco Giants in 2021), they will remain the top wild card — and not get a first-round bye.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

Information in the above article is for entertainment purposes only and is not targeted at under 19 audiences. Using this information to contravene any law is prohibited. Visit the Responsible Gaming Council’s Safer Play to keep gambling safe and fun.

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