The League Champions Series finals start today when the San Diego Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies meet in the first match of the NLCS. Then on Wednesday, it’s the start of the ALCS, with the Houston Astros taking on one of the New York Yankees or Cleveland Guardians in the ALCS. Here we look at the odds to win both finals, and also bring you our predicted winners in our League Championship Series betting picks.
Due to the delay in the final ALDS match between the Yankees and the Guardians, we can look at the MLB postseason odds to win the American League Pennant, but we can’t yet preview the ALCS final. So here we will focus on the NLCS for now, and then take a look at the postseason betting to win ALCS later in the article.
In the finals of the NLDS, the two favorites were the LA Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers were the betting favorites for nearly the whole season, while the Braves were the defending champions. They were taking on the San Diego Padres, and the Philadelphia Phillies, respectively.
Bizarrely, it looks like the wildcard matches won prior to both the division finals did wonders for the confidence of the Padres and the Phillies. Both won their respective wildcard matches in impressive fashion, and both took that form into their division series finals.
The Dodgers were up against the San Diego Padres, a team they had dominated in the regular season. Not many gave the Padres much hope. The Dodgers won 111 regular season matches, the Phillies 89. A 22 win difference, the gulf in class was obvious.
The Padres lost the opening match 5-3 at the Dodgers Stadium, and it looked like nothing had changed. But the Padres had just won 6-0 and 7-1 in their series a couple of days earlier against the New York Mets, winning the series 2-1. They had looked impressive in their dismantling of the New York franchise.
Clearly, this had an effect on San Diego, as what happened next was staggering. First the Padres won 5-3 at the Dodgers Stadium, and then they beat the Dodgers 2-1, and 5-3 in San Diego to take the series by three games to one. Not many saw that coming!
The Phillies finished a distant third to both the Braves and the Mets in the NL East. The Braves and the Mets won 101 regular season matches, the Phillies just 87. Surely there was no way that Philadelphia could compete with the likes of the Braves in the National League playoffs?
But like the Padres, the Phillies won their wildcard series in impressive fashion, knocking out the Cardinals in two matches. They took this form into match one of the NLDS and defeated the Atlanta Braves 7-6. The Braves struck back with a 3-0 win in match two, and they looked likely to go on and complete the series win from here.
But then the Phillies just went mad, winning 9-1 and 8-3 against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park, sealing their spot in the NLCS.
In the betting to win the NLCS the best MLB betting sites make the San Diego Padres -125 to win, with the Philadelphia Phillies at +105. The Padres win over the Dodgers makes them the betting favorites, and that is understandable.
But then look at the way the Phillies took apart the defending champions at their Citizens Bank Park homeground, and it becomes a difficult decision.
The schedule for this match sees the first two matches played in San Diego, then matches three, four, and five in Philadelphia. If more matches are required, then the sixth and seventh matches are back in San Diego.
I think those three home fixtures for the Phillies could be crucial, especially if they can replicate the home form that destroyed the Braves. Therefore I’m making the Phillies my betting pick to win the NLCS.
The odds for this bet are from BetOnline, for more great betting offers please check out our BetOnline sportsbook review.
Over in the ALDS, we did see one Division Series final go the way we expected it to, as the Houston Astros saw off the Seattle Mariners with little difficulty.
The Mariners defeated the Blue Jays in their wildcard match, but they were no match for the Astros in the ALDS, losing the series 3-0. The win makes the Houston Astros the +150 betting favorites to win the 2022 World Series. They were the beaten finalists last year, so they have pedigree when it comes to reaching finals and have to be respected.
In the betting to win the American League Pennant, the favorites with the best MLB postseason betting sites are also the Houston Astros at -185. They are followed by the New York Yankees at +250, and the Cleveland Guardians at +550.
Should the Yankees win their ALDS series decider later today, I would expect to see the odds on the Astros slightly lengthen. So if you are looking to back them for the American League Pennant, or the 2022 World Series, it might be worth hanging on a bit longer. On the flip side, should the Guardians win, then I expect Houston to probably shorten further.
At this moment in time, I feel the Houston Astros are the best betting pick to win the ALCS at -185.
About the Author
Over the last 10 years, Dean has sharpened his expertise in crafting and revising content for his soccer and cricket betting platforms. Driven by his passion for sports betting and writing, he embarked on a journey of writing about sports wagering. Although Dean's preferred areas of focus are the English Premier League and cricket, his extensive sports knowledge enables him to tackle nearly any sport. Gone are the days of traveling the world to witness events like FIFA World Cups and Ashes cricket, as Dean now prefers the comfort of his own home while enjoying sports.
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