Things sure have been amazing for Major League Baseball fans, as the start of the campaign really has been incredible to see. While we took a look at the AL picks earlier in the week, we now have our MLB NL Divisional picks 2 months into the season for you to take a look at as well. Will there be any surprises late in the season that people will be talking about?
One of the biggest stunners early on this season has been the success of the New York Mets. NY is at the top of the division and the Mets are the favorites to win the NL East the rest of the way. Who in the world expected this? While the team was able to sign Max Scherzer to his contract and add some other big pieces, people figured the Braves would stay red hot.
Atlanta won the World Series last year, doing so in dramatic fashion against the Houston Astros. Atlanta was able to win in six games, despite Houston being looked at as the heavy favorite to win it all once again. Atlanta did part ways with Freddie Freeman, but they pulled off the blockbuster move in bringing All-Star first baseman Matt Olson to town.
| NL MLB odds |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mets to win | -410 | -410 | -410 | -410 |
| Brewers to win | -340 | -340 | -340 | -340 |
| Dodgers to win | -290 | -290 | -290 | -290 |
| Padres to win | +350 | +350 | +350 | +350 |
With the addition of Olson, and Ronald Acuña Jr. returning to full health from his torn ACL, there was no way anyone would get in front of Atlanta right? Wrong. New York has been outstanding and the fanbase has a strong belief that they’ll be able to win the division this year. A return to the postseason for the Mets? That’s what people sure are hoping for.
Per the best rated sportsbooks, the Mets, who currently hold a 34-17 record, hold -370 MLB odds to win the NL East. The Braves are behind them at +500, while the Phillies are at +1100. As you can see, New York is expected to cruise to a division title. They’re no question our pick to win the NL East. Agree? Check out our MLB betting sites to get a wager in.
It goes without saying, but the Dodgers should win the NL West this year. This team just keeps getting better and better and they’re also in the hunt to potentially win the World Series. What makes the Dodgers so special is that yes they have one of the best starting rotations in the game, but their lineup features some truly incredible talent at the dish.
When you’ve got Mookie Betts, Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger and more, no opposing pitcher is going to want to face you. Oh, and remember that they were able to sign Freeman to a monster contract this offseason? While Freeman was hoping for a reunion with the Atlanta Braves, the two sides couldn’t get on the same page in their contract talks from start to finish.
Per a report, Freeman was looking for a six-year contract, while the Braves were only willing to offer him five. Once Atlanta traded for Olson, the writing was on the wall for Freeman’s time in the NL East. He then joined the Dodgers and has wasted no time in making a huge impact with the team. The hope is that Freeman can help the Dodgers win another title. It would really be a great story for Freeman if the team can do so.
According to the oddsmakers, the Dodgers hold -290 odds to come away with the NL West. The Padres and Giants would obviously love to make things interesting, but that’s really going to be tough. From our chair, it feels like a lock that Los Angeles will go on to win the division. Yup, we have no choice but to go with the Dodgers as our pick to win the NL West. They’re simply too good and no one will be able to catch up to them.
The question countless folks have on their minds is will the Brewers win the NL Central? As things stand, Milwaukee has a slim lead over the St. Louis Cardinals, but this battle is sure to keep going all the way until late September. The Brewers have a loaded roster, which is bad news for the rest of the teams out there. They’re hoping to win this division in style and they most definitely have the pieces to get that job done.
However, the Cardinals are also loaded and they won’t back down from Milwaukee. These two teams form quite the rivalry and things are really going to get interesting after the trade deadline. You can expect both squads to be aggressive in adding players. Who will make the bigger move to help them in this race? Again, this will be a tough call, but we’re actually going with the Cardinals to win the NL Central this year.
