The AL Central has been struggling to provide some legitimate competition as typically three times are sitting around .500 with one or two teams being decent threats. Today, we are going to dive into the odds after a month of games played and decide which are worth placing our money in.
Preakness odds are going to show us where we should be leaning as this can really make our bankroll look even more impressive. Let’s dive into the AL Central division and decide the best futures bets to make here.
Chicago White Sox (-110)
The Chicago White Sox have been struggling to begin the season as they are 12-13 to begin the season and are currently three games back in the division. They have played Detroit three games, Cleveland four times, Minnesota three times, and Kansas City three times. The White Sox are struggling offensively as they are 22nd in the big leagues with a .638 OPS up to this point. On the mound, they have been an average as they are 15th in the sport with a 3.50 ERA as a team.
They have dealt with a few injuries to key players with starting pitchers Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito on the injured list so far while outfielder Eloy Jimenez had a hamstring tear and will miss a significant chunk of time as he required surgery to recover. However, they have a solid core and this division is not great so go with the Chicago White Sox with even odds as they are the best overall team.
Minnesota Twins (+140)
The Minnesota Twins have been one of the best teams in the American League thus far as their 16-11 record is three games better than anyone else in the division. So far this season, they have faced Detroit, Kansas City, and Chicago three times thus far so there is a lot of divisional games left to play.
They have been one of the best pitching teams as they are sixth in baseball with a 3.23 ERA as a whole. Offensively, they are 10th in MLB with a .710 OPS and need some of their newer additions to step up as Gary Sanchez, Gio Urshela, and Carlos Correa have not played up to the back of their baseball cards thus far. I believe in all three of those players to step up and perform well and this pitching to take a tiny step back as they are not as solid as their first month indicates. All in all, place the wager as this team is very solidly put together and should continue to win games.
Cleveland Guardians (+900)
The Cleveland Guardians have a decent team but ownership has been afraid to spend copious amounts of money. They currently are tied for second with a 12-13 record and are three games behind Minnesota for the lead in the division. Cleveland has played four games against Kansas City and three games against Chicago, so there is a lot of AL Central games remaining.
This team has been clicking on all cylinders offensively this season as they are seventh in all of Major League Baseball with a .719 OPS so far. Their pitching has been below average as they are 21st in baseball with a 3.95 team ERA up to this point. Outside of third baseman Jose Ramirez, there is not many people I truly believe in offensively to continue this hot stretch and their bullpen is pretty weak. If you feel like a believer in the Guardians then go for this but I am staying clear of this bet right now.
Conclusion
The AL Central is going to come down to two teams as the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals are showing you that they are not to be trusted. I really believe in this Chicago White Sox team’s talent in order to dominate here. Minnesota can make a case as well but realistically those are the only teams that have a case to win here.
