2021 American League Pennant Odds: Yankees are Preseason Favorites

We are seeing a return to normal for the 2021 MLB season with a full 162-game season and some fans in the stands. Heading into the campaign, unsurprisingly, the New York Yankees are the favorites in the odds to win the American League pennant.

Online sportsbook BetUS has the Bronx Bombers at the top of the odds to win the American League title at +225, followed by the Chicago White Sox at +350, Minnesota Twins at +650, Tampa Bay Rays at +700 and Toronto Blue Jays at +700.

The Yankees’ +225 odds mean that a $100 bet on the Pinstripes would profit you $225. Additionally, looking at the odds to win the American League, our sports betting calculator tells us that New York’s odds represent an implied win probability of 30.77 percent.

2021 Odds to win the American League

Odds as of March 23 at BetUS

Here’s a look at the odds to win the National League.

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Unfamiliar with betting on baseball? Be sure to check out our How to Bet on MLB betting guide. Also, keep an eye on our MLB odds page for the latest up-to-date betting lines.

Why New York is Favored in the Odds to Win the American League

Not only are the Yankees the favorite in the odds to win the American League, they’re also second in World Series odds behind the reigning champion Dodgers. The Pinstripes, with high-end talent at the dish and toeing the rubber, are a complete team that will be a tough out in every game.

On the hill, the Yanks have two starters in the top 10 in AL Cy Young odds with Gerrit Cole the favorite and offseason acquisition Corey Kluber eighth. Perhaps flying under the radar is Luis Severino, who finished third in Cy Young voting in 2017 and looked poised to win the award a season later before a second-half collapse.

Severino has battled injuries for the last two years but if the 27-year-old can return to form in 2021, New York will effectively have three aces in its rotation.

Bronx Bombers for a Reason

This squad is just as formidable at the plate as it is on the mound. There are three Yankees in the top 10 in AL MVP odds: Aaron Judge sits third, DJ LeMahieu is seventh and Gleyber Torres is tied for eighth.

The biggest issue that New York has had to deal with recently has been the injury bug. Apart from Severino’s woes, the batting order has also been ravaged by injuries. Most notably, the big bats of Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have missed a combined 273 games over the last two seasons. If everyone can stay on the field, there’s no reason that New York shouldn’t be the favorite in the odds to win the American League.

AL Pennant Odds: Sleeper Pick

There are two teams that have my attention providing better value than the Yankees and they are the reigning AL pennant-winning Tampa Bay Rays at +700 and the Oakland Athletics at +850. Of the two teams, I’ll take the greater value on the A’s.

The Athletics won the AL West last season by seven games, equal to the Rays’ margin of victory in the AL East and the largest margin in the bigs. The main reason I lean toward Oakland over Tampa Bay is that the AL West doesn’t have the firepower that the AL East does. 

Furthermore, I really like the rotation the A’s have put together to go along with a great bullpen. Jesus Luzardo, 23, is my sleeper pick for the Cy Young and he’s not even the ace of the staff. Offensively, the batting averages were concerning last season with only two players hitting over .250. However, 10 players had an OBP above .300.

At 8.5:1, the value on Oakland to win the American League is just too nice to pass up. Additionally, if the Yankees come out of the gate sluggishly, their value may drop, presenting a good opportunity to get better odds on them.