The Atlanta Braves won their sixth consecutive NL East title in 2023, but for the second straight season, their World Series hopes were dashed by the rival Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS.
Is Philadelphia finally equipped to challenge Atlanta for the division title? Could we see a surprise third team enter the race?
Let’s ponder these possibilities as we examine the latest NL East betting odds and make our best division winner bets for the upcoming 2024 MLB season.
NL East Winner Odds 2024
MLB odds used for these NL East best bets are from Monday, March 11, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Atlanta Braves (-240)
- Philadelphia Phillies (+310)
- New York Mets (+1100)
- Miami Marlins (+1600)
- Washington Nationals (+10000)
NL East Winner Best Bet
Atlanta Braves (-240)
I’m not in love with the idea of investing in a -240 bet that won’t cash out until the end of September, but the Braves are a wagon I’m willing to ride.
Atlanta has one of the deepest starting rotations in baseball, with Spencer Strider, Max Fried, Chris Sale, and Charlie Morton occupying the top four spots. They also have the reigning NL MVP in Ronald Acuna Jr., who hit .337 with 41 home runs and 106 RBI in his age-25 season.
- Check out Atlanta’s odds to win the National League Pennant.
Acuna is far from a solo act as Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Marcell Ozuna each hit 35-plus homers and drove in 95-plus runs last season for Atlanta’s league-leading offense.
The Braves have the second-best odds to win the NL behind the loaded Dodgers and should be hungry after back-to-back postseason disappointments. Retaining the division title is just the first step in what should be another promising campaign.
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NL East Winner Sleeper Pick
Philadelphia Phillies (+310)
If you’re looking for plus-money odds in the NL East, the Phillies are the obvious choice.
Rob Thomson‘s squad has reached the NLCS in back-to-back seasons, coming up short in Game 7 against the Diamondbacks last year after losing to the Astros in the 2022 World Series.
Philadelphia has a deep lineup that features superstar Bryce Harper and talented sluggers in Nick Castellanos, Trea Turner, and J.T. Realmuto. It also boasts top-end starting pitching with Aaron Nola and Zach Wheeler.
Still, the Phillies finished a whopping 14 games behind the Braves last season, making me think the talent gap might be too large for this group to overcome over the large sample of the MLB regular season.
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Past NL East Winners
2023: Atlanta Braves
2022: Atlanta Braves
2021: Atlanta Braves
2020: Atlanta Braves
2019: Atlanta Braves
2018: Atlanta Braves
2017: Washington Nationals
2016: Washington Nationals
2015: New York Mets
2014: Washington Nationals