MLB Cy Young Odds: Verlander And Alcantara Favored

Starting pitchers are the linchpin of any successful MLB team. Many pitchers can take the ball every five days, but only a few regularly dominate. In 2022 MLB Cy Young odds, the top hurlers stand out.

According to BetUS’s updated Cy Young odds, Astros starter Justin Verlander leads the way in the American League while Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara is the top dog in the National League odds. We break down the best Cy Young betting options below as well as some value picks.

After locking in your Cy Young odds bets, check out our World Series odds and AL/NL MVP odds to get your fill of MLB futures this season. If you’re new to baseball betting, our How to Bet on Baseball page is a great resource to get you started.

Let’s look at each MLB league and determine some betting value for the Cy Young awards this season:

Who Is Favored In MLB American League Cy Young Odds?

Odds as of August 16 at BetUS

Why Verlander Leads AL Cy Young Award Odds

Entering 2022, Justin Verlander had pitched six innings in the last two years. He’s 39 years old, in his 17th season, and has logged over 3,000 innings. There was every reason for Verlander to be imperfect this year, working off the rust returning from a major surgery. Instead, he’s been the best pitcher in baseball and skyrocketed up these Cy Young odds.

Through 21 starts, Verlander has averaged almost seven innings per outing, posting a 15-3 record and baseball’s best ERA (1.85). It’s hard to see anyone passing him this year barring an injury, because the numbers and narrative are too strong.

AL Cy Young Odds Value Pick: Kevin Gausman

Though luck hasn’t always gone his way this season, Kevin Gausman has still been one of the AL’s best pitchers. Despite the best FIP in baseball (2.08), he has a 3.16 ERA and just an 8-9 record.

He’s been the most valuable pitcher in the American League, per fWAR, and if some of the luck turns his way in his last few starts, Gausman could vault himself into serious AL Cy Young odds contention.

Who Is Favored In MLB National League Cy Young Odds?

Odds as of August 16 at BetUS

NL Cy Young Award: Sandy’s To Lose

While the strikeout numbers aren’t incredible, Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara leads almost every other major NL pitching category this year and has a hammerlock on the Cy Young odds right now.

With a league-leading 1.92 ERA, 173 innings pitched and three complete games, the 26-year-old has emerged as one of the best pitchers in baseball this year. Though he’s only striking out 7.9 batters per nine innings, it’s hard to see anyone passing Alcantara barring a late-season blowup.

NL Cy Young Odds Value Pick: Tony Gonsolin

If this was 2002 instead of 2022, Tony Gonsolin would be the heavy NL Cy Young favorite right now considering his 14-1 record on the mound.

With the NL’s top record and a 2.24 ERA, Gonsolin has been the most productive starter on a great Dodgers team and is quietly lurking in NL Cy contention. He’s nowhere near the strikeout or innings pitched totals of some of these other top competitors, but with the lowest WHIP and the most wins in the NL, he’s decent value down the stretch.

Making A Cy Young Futures Bet

Betting on an MLB Cy Young Award is a form of futures betting because you are making a pick based on an outcome determined at the end of the MLB regular season. The trophy is usually given out in mid-December and if you want to get a bigger payout, it’s best to lock in your bets sooner rather than later so you can take advantage of better odds. The closer it gets to the end of the season, the more the odds will change.

How To Read MLB Cy Young Odds

The above chart features the odds for each top player in the American League and National League. At your sportsbook of choice, like BetUS, the betting lines for the National League could look something like this:

Zack Wheeler +150

Corbin Burnes +160

Max Scherzer +190

This means that Wheeler is the favorite since he has the lowest odds and the highest chance of winning the prop, according to oddsmakers. If you were to bet $100 on Wheeler and he won, you would get a payout of $250 – your original $100 is returned along with your winnings of $150.

On the other hand, if you strongly believe that Corbin Burnes is going to shine in Milwaukee, a winning $100 bet on him would yield $260 – your $100 comes back along with your prize of $160.

Our Odds Calculator will show you how much you’d win based on the odds and amount bet.