The 2022 MLB season is well into the second part of the regular season, and with plenty still to play for weâve been looking at the futures betting to win the divisions. Today weâre focusing on the AL East, where the New York Yankees have been the overwhelming betting favorites for some time now.
But despite still holding a sizable advantage over their rivals in the AL East, there still looks little value in backing the Yankees to win the division at odds of -3300.
All season the Yankees have looked like a lock in to win the division, but even with a decent lead over rivals the Toronto Blue Jays (+5.5), and the Tampa Bay Rays (+7.5), there is still a substantial risk in betting on Aaron Booneâs team.
About one week ago, the odds of the Yankees winning the AL East were -3000. Toronto Blue Jays were +1400, and the Tampa Bay Rays +1500. Now the Yankees have been cut further into -3300, the Blue Jays are the same at +1400, while the clear losers in the betting over the last few days are the Rays, who are now out to +2800 as third betting favorites.
In the latest 2022Â MLB World Series odds, the Yankees are +525, with the Blue Jays +2000, and the Rays at +2200.
AL East Division Latest Betting
| AL East Division Winner Betting |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | -3300 | -4000 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +1400 | +1400 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +2500 | +2800 |
As weâve alluded to, the Yankees still have a nice lead over their rivals. The problem is, their odds are just too short. There is nothing really to gain from backing them to win the division. But at odds of just -3300, there is plenty to lose from backing them. Put short, the Yankees are a poor value bet.
Of the six MLB divisions, there are only betting markets available on three of them with BetOnline, they are the AL East, AL Central, and the NL East. Of the other three divisions, the online bookmaker considers them to be over as betting contests, and that includes the NL East where the Cardinals have an 8.5 lead over the Brewers.
The Cardinalâs lead is not much more than the Yankees is, yet the Yankees market remains active. That tells us that there is potential for an upset, and even though the Yankees will probably still comfortably win the division, it adds to the view that there is no value betting on them.
The Yankees have a four game series against the Boston Red Sox on the horizon. Form says this should give the Yankees a great chance to put some wins on the board, but we all know how unpredictable the Red Sox are.
And we also know how this is a local derby, so form could go out of the window.
Can the Rays or Blue Jays put the Yankees under any pressure?
As for the Rays and the Blue Jays, well they take on each other in a four match series at Tropicana Field this weekend. This could be a pivotal weekend, and itâs also a big reason why the Yankees are at such a short price with the best MLB betting sites.
Life doesnât get any easier for the Blue Jays, as immediately after the Raysâ series, they have a three match home series against the Yankees. At the same time, the Rays will be away at the Guardians, and then away at the Astros immediately afterwards.
Thereâs no doubt that the AL East is the Yankeesâ to lose, and itâs also highly probable they will comfortably win it. There is definitely no point in backing them at -3300 though, itâs just not worth the risk. The clear value bet here is to have a small wager on both the Blue Jays and the Rays, and hope that New York has a shocking end to the season.
Check out our BetOnline review for more details and betting offers.
AL Central; Guardians to lose
Elsewhere, and in the betting to win the AL Central, itâs the Cleveland Guardians who are still in control. The Guardians are -1600 and with a five win lead over the Chicago White Sox, and given the form that Terry Franconaâs Guardians side has been in, that looks a fair enough price.
The Guardians are playing the White Sox in a three match mini series at the moment though. So if the White Sox can win that (they are 1-0 down already), they may be able to turn things around and make it competitive again. The White Sox is +700, with the Minnesota Twins (who have just lost a five match series 4-1 to the Guardians) at +10000 to win the division.
NL East; Still all to play for
The division that looks by far the most competitive is the NL East. The New York Mets (-225) and the Atlanta Braves (+175) have just one game between them (in favor of the Mets). Both these sides have been neck and neck for a while now, with the Mets somehow continually managing to keep their noses in front in both the betting and the table.
Call it a comeback. #LGM pic.twitter.com/KAk62YXfuu
— x - New York Mets (@Mets) September 21, 2022
After three defeats on the spin to the Cubs last week, the Mets steadied the ship with four wins in a row at home over the Pirates. At the same time, the Braves had a stinker against the Giants, losing a mini series 2-1. They did recover to beat the Phillies three times over the weekend to keep pace with New York.
Both the Braves and the Mets face each other over four games at the end of the month. That is likely to be where the NL East division is decided.
