The AL West wasn’t especially close last year as the Astros, the eventual MLB champions, cleaned up the rest of the division, winning it by 16 games. Houston is chalked in the World Series odds in 2023, meaning the ’Stros also carry -200 odds to win the AL West this year.
Here’s a full breakdown of the AL West odds.
2023 AL West Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Houston Astros | -145 |
| Texas Rangers | +150 |
| LA Angels | +1100 |
| Seattle Mariners | +1200 |
| Oakland Athletics | +200000 |
Odds as of June 5th, 2023 12:51pm EDT. |
Our sports betting calculator tells us the Astros’ odds translate to a 66.67 percent implied probability to win the NL West. That means a $10 bet on Houston today pays out $15.
Why The Astros (-200) will Repeat as AL West Champs
Houston is a fantastic team, and last year it waltzed to the playoffs, then crushed each opponent from the ALDS to the AL pennant and onward to the World Series. It wasn’t ever really close, as the Astros lost just two games all postseason.
That’s one hell of a precedent to match, but the Astros are in a very good position to at least repeat as division champions. The club lost Cy Young winner Justin Verlander in free agency, but the emergence of Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier makes his absence a relative non-factor. Jose Altuve broke his thumb during the World Baseball Classic, which sucks, but it’s still not a death knell for Houston.
The Astros have won the AL West in five of the last six seasons (the A’s won in the shortened 2020 campaign) and should claim the division title again in 2023. At -200, though, there’s no point in laying a futures bet just yet.
Are Mariners (+350), Angels (+750), Rangers (+1000) Worth A Value Bet?
There’s tons of value in this grouping. The Mariners are an especially dangerous team after adding more run production by acquiring Teoscar Hernandez, AJ Pollock and Kolten Wong. The M’s rotation, led by Luis Castillo, was already stellar, so that should play well again. The bullpen is fiery, too. I definitely recommend a wager on Seattle at +350. If they get off to a hot start, the value will evaporate.
The Angels are the Angels — every year they fall apart. While L.A. had a decent offseason, I still don’t think the club has done enough to rectify its issues, which start with management and work all the way down. Plus, the team could always trade Shohei Ohtani midseason. I’d steer clear of any hefty wagers, but +750 could be worth a half-unit.
Texas is on everyone’s sleeper list. After overhauling the rotation with a spending spree on Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney, the Rangers look great on paper. Like the Angels, though, position-player depth is a question, and I’m not sure the club can stay healthy for a full season.
