MLB Odds 2020: Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees Among Five Teams Favored To Make Playoffs

A couple of teams are expected to make the 2020 MLB playoffs without much of an issue. Picking the rest of the postseason teams isn’t thought to be nearly as easy.

Five teams are odds-on favorites to play October baseball, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Eleven other teams are given better than 2/1 odds to either win their division or a wild-card berth.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees are the World Series favorites in each league. Both teams have -2500 playoff odds.

Los Angeles traded for Mookie Betts on the heels of winning seven straight NL West titles. New York signed Gerrit Cole after losing in the ALCS for the second time in three years.

The Houston Astros have -385 odds to make the playoffs. Houston won the 2017 World Series and was beaten in last year’s Fall Classic in seven games. The Astros have won more than 100 games in three straight seasons.

The Minnesota Twins (-210) and Atlanta Braves (-121) are smaller favorites to reach the postseason. Minnesota is the reigning AL Central champion, going 101-61 in 2019. Atlanta, Houston and Los Angeles are the only MLB teams that have won consecutive division titles.

The NL East is considered to have the most playoff contenders. The reigning champion Washington Nationals (+100) are the frontrunners for the first NL wild-card spot. The New York Mets (+135) are in the mix with potentially elite pitching. The Philadelphia Phillies (+180) are led by a lineup with several All-Star-caliber hitters.

The NL Central is up for grabs. The St. Louis Cardinals (+110) have a real chance to repeat as division champions. The Chicago Cubs (+150) last had a losing season in 2014. The Cincinnati Reds (+175) could make a run at their first playoff berth in seven years, having added Trevor Bauer and Mike Moustakas in the last several months.

The Milwaukee Brewers (+260) have made the postseason in two straight years. Christian Yelich might be the best hitter in the NL.

The AL Central could be a three-team race. The Cleveland Indians (+163) have won more than 90 games in four straight years. The Chicago White Sox (+180) have some of the best young talent in baseball.

Maybe the Oakland Athletics (+135), who have gone exactly 97-65 in two straight seasons, can dethrone the Astros in the AL West. The Los Angeles Angels (+180) are hopeful that having Anthony Rendon and Shohei Ohtani on the same team for a full season will give Mike Trout a chance to return to the playoffs.

The Tampa Bay Rays (+105) might be the only real threat to the Yankees in the AL East. The Boston Red Sox (+230) face an uphill battle after weakening their roster in the offseason.

The Baltimore Orioles (+3300) and Detroit Tigers (+3300) have the worst playoff odds in baseball.