The American League Central division is one of Major League Baseball’s weakest divisions, featuring four teams with sub-.500 records.
The Minnesota Twins lead the division, followed closely by the Cleveland Guardians, who sit 2.5 games back. The Detroit Tigers sit in third place, followed by the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals at the bottom.
Who will claim the Central by the season’s end? And what can we expect from a betting standpoint as we inch closer to the MLB postseason?
Let’s examine the latest AL Central odds and make our best bet and sleeper pick selections for the division.
AL Central Winner Odds 2023
MLB odds used for these best bets are from Thursday, July 20, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Minnesota Twins (-265)
- Cleveland Guardians (+250)
- Detroit Tigers (+3500)
- Chicago White Sox (+4000)
- Kansas City Royals (+80000)
The Twins (-265) are heavy favorites to hoist the division crown. The good news for prospective bettors is that there is plenty of baseball left to be played, and a lot can change between now and October.
Be that as it may, the AL Central also offers some attractive betting options and underlying value when it comes to teams further down the standings.
AL Central Winner Best Bet
Cleveland Guardians (+250)
After losing to the New York Yankees in the ALDS last season, the Guardians have struggled to find consistency in 2023. Still, Cleveland only trails the Twins by 2.5 games with plenty of baseball left.
From an advanced metrics perspective, the Guardians have performed much better than their 47-49 (.490) record would indicate.
Cleveland ranks third in the American League in xBA (.259) and fifth in both opponents’ xOBA (.306) and opponents’ SLG (.392), despite injuries to starters Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie.
- See where Cleveland ranks in the American League Pennant betting odds.
A late-season heater from Terry Francona’s men could propel the Guardians into the playoffs, making their (+250) price point an intriguing one.
AL Central Winner Sleeper Pick
Detroit Tigers (+3500)
Winners of seven of their past 11 games, the Tigers continue to stick around in the AL Central, sitting 5.5 games back of the first-place Twins.
After winning an abysmal 66 games a season ago, the Tigers are vastly improved this year and hold an outside shot at a postseason berth. This turnaround is primarily due to the youth movement in Detroit led by Spencer Torkelson, Kerry Carpenter, and Riley Greene.
The Tigers’ pitching staff has also kept them competitive, ranking sixth in the American League in HardHit% (39.5) and wOBA (.307) and fifth in OBP (.305), per Baseball Savant.
Although Detroit (+3500) is a long shot, it is worth a sprinkle of a wager.