The New York Yankees may have lost the wild card match in the 2021 playoffs, but it didn’t stop them from going into this season as one of the betting favorites to win the American League Pennant.
The Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays went into the 2022 regular season at around the +350 mark, depending on which online sports betting site you used. They were both shorter odds than the defending American League Pennant champions, the Houston Astros, who started the season at +500 to win their fourth-ever Pennant.
So with just under three months of the regular season left, it’s a good time to see how they’re all getting on and if anybody else has joined the mix in the betting to win the 2022 AL Pennant.
American League Pennant Winner Futures Betting
The New York Yankees have been the standout MLB team this year, to the point that they are not only the favorites in the AL Pennant market but also the betting favorites in the MLB World Series Odds.
But after a flying start that saw the odds on the Yankees shorten, the gap in the betting to win the American League Pennant has started to close in recent weeks. At the time of writing, New York Yankees are still the favorites, but their odds have slightly drifted out to +175.
| MLB Futures; 2022 American League Pennant |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | +175 | +170 |
| Houston Astros | +240 | +225 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +600 | +550 |
| Boston Red Sox | +1200 | +1300 |
| Minnesota Twins | +1600 | +1700 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +1600 | +1700 |
| Chicago White Sox | +1800 | +2000 |
At the same time, the odds on the Houston Astros are heading in the opposite direction. They are now into +240. As for the Toronto Blue Jays; after starting the season at +350, they are now out to +600.
They are the three betting favorites with BetOnline, as they were at the start of the season, so let's take a closer look at how things are going for all the teams.
New York Yankees; The Early Frontrunners
At the time of writing, the Yankees are still the betting favorites, but they’ve been going through a sticky spell by their standards this year. They are currently 5-5 in their last ten outings, but they will be looking to improve that record in the three-match home series against the Red Sox this weekend.
Even though they halved the four matches at Fenway Park, a home series against one of their main rivals could be just what they need to get the juices flowing again.
Despite their recent blip, the Yankees still hold a win percentage of .701, which is far superior to second-placed Tampa Bay Rays on .540. The form at Yankees Stadium is the real clincher though. A 34-10 record for Aaron Boone’s team blows the rest of the AL out of the water.
If pushed for a betting pick, I would go with the Yankees after what I've seen so far this season.
Toronto Blue Jays; An Underachieving Season so far!
Having started the season as one of the betting favorites, it has been a hugely disappointing camaign for Charlie Montoyo’s team. At least so far, it has!
A recent run of 2-8 is one of the worst in the American League, and it has also seen the Blue Jays drop down to fourth in the AL East. This, coming on top of not the best start!
The good news is there’s still time to recover the situation, and with a good run, they could find themselves back up to second in no time.
The Blue Jays have a four-match home series against the Kansas City Royals starting this weekend, and then after that, they face the Red Sox three times at Fenway Park. That could be a real crunch series!
Houston Astros; Still Regarded as the Outsiders
The Astros won the American League Pennant last season, but despite that, they’ve still never quite managed to gain the confidence of both punters and the best MLB betting sites.
They started this season as third favorites, and a combination of the Blue Jays struggling, and the Astros - again - doing well, has seen them work their way up to second in the AL Pennant futures market.
In recent weeks they have again closed the gap on the Yankees, and with the Astros at odds of +240, and Yankees at +175, it is officially a two-horse race.
The Astros are 57-29, with a percentage of .663. While that’s not quite as good as the Yankees (.701), it’s close enough for the top sportsbooks to finally see them as serious contenders to win again.
In the AL West, they are still well clear of the Seattle Mariners, who are on a win percentage of .517, and this, after a 9-1 run over the past couple of weeks.
On the road, the Astros are particularly strong, and with their 30-17 record, they are the first and only American League side to chalk up 30 wins away from home.
After their current series against the Angels finishes, the Astros will host the Oakland Athletics in a trilogy this weekend. They then have a mouth-watering double header against the Yankees at Minute Maid Park next week.
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