MLB Futures: 3 Best Bets to Win the NL Pennant (2020)
Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our Sports Betting Strategy and Advice page is for you. You can get started with our 101 section — including How to Choose a Sportsbook — or head to more advanced strategy — like Which Sports Are Most Profitable to Bet? — to learn more.
We may not know exactly when the 2020 MLB season will begin, but the conversations in the media suggest that we’ll have professional baseball season this year. All of the sportsbooks in New Jersey have the MLB futures posted on the board, so let’s look at the odds to win the National League. We’ve singled out three teams from the favorite, mid-range, and longshot category that we like the most from each tier.
Claim your FREE bet up to $500 at FanDuel Sportsbook >>
The Favorites
Los Angeles Dodgers
Odds to Win the National League: +155
Yet again, it’s tough not to take the Los Angeles Dodgers here. We all know what they have, which includes great offensive talent in Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy, Corey Seager, and the newly-acquired, former MVP Mookie Betts. Of course, they also have aces Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler, who lead a staff that also features Julio Urias, Dustin May, Brusadar Graterol, and the newly-acquired David Price and Alex Wood.
L.A. has been a powerhouse for some time now, and everyone knows what they bring to the table with all of their star-power. While they have not been able to find and repeat that success in the postseason, luckily, we don’t have to worry about that when predicting whether they’ll take home another NL Pennant.
One other separate note worth mentioning is that they’re in the easiest division in the National League. That makes their path to the playoffs all the easier compared to any team from the East or Central.
The Mid-Tier
Cincinnati Reds
Odds to Win the National League: +1400
The Cincinnati Reds are a popular bet to win the NL Pennant. Despite only going 75-87, the Reds were a solid team last year. Slugger Eugenio Suarez led the way with 48 home runs, and ace Luis Castillo posted a 15-8 record and a 3.40 ERA.
Cincinnati also had one of the best offseasons in recent history, as they added Mike Moustakas, Nicholas Castellanos, and Japanese baseball star Shogo Akiyama. The Reds also brought in Trevor Bauer as Castillo’s counterpart on the mound. On paper, Cincinnati has it all: stars and depth on both sides of the ball.
The challenge here is that the team has to put it all together in one year, and a shortened one at that. On top of that, they’re in a tricky division. At 14/1, it feels like there’s enough value here to take a shot.
The Longshots
Arizona Diamondbacks
Odds to Win the National League: +2500
The Diamondbacks surprised people last year by rattling off an 85-win season, surpassing their previous win-total mark by almost 10 games. This was led by breakout performances from Ketel Marte, who hit .329, 32 home runs and knocked in 92 RBIs, and Eduardo Escobar, who hit .269, 35 home runs and 118 RBIs.
This year, Arizona has added some extra firepower. We can see it in the batter’s box with Starling Marte and on the mound with Madison Bumgarner. They may be a bit of a longshot to take home the NL pennant, but they look like they have the ingredients to be a playoff team. If they can get in, who knows from there? At 25/1, they’re the team I like from the longshot category.
Check out our FanDuel Sportsbook review and promo codes >>
Dave Golokhov is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Dave, check out his archive and follow him @davegolokhov.