- The Houston Astros are the +275 betting favorites to represent the American League in the World Series.
- The Chicago White Sox have +375 odds to win the American League while the New York Yankees are at +550.
HOUSTON – The Houston Astros have become the betting favorite to win the American League and make another appearance in the World Series. The Astros have gone 19-6 in the month of June and have improved their record to 48-30 on the season.
Why Are The Astros Favored?
Not only does the team have the best record in the American League, but they also have arguably the most talented roster in the sport. The Astros offense leads the MLB in WAR (19.1), wRC+ (125), wOBA (.347), BA (.278), OBP (.350), SLG (.453) and K% (18.8).
Essentially, if there’s an offensive statistic, the Houston Astros are probably at the top of the list.
Looking at the odds on online gambling sites it may be surprising that the Astros aren’t even shorter than what they are.
Odds to Win the 2021 American League
- Houston Astros +275
- Chicago White Sox +375
- New York Yankees +550
- Tampa Bay Rays +700
- Boston Red Sox +750
- Oakland Athletics +1000
- Toronto Blue Jays +1400
The Astros pitching staff ranks towards the middle of the pack in most categories, but that didn’t prevent the team from having the most All-Star finalists of any team in the league.
Simply stated, the Astros look like the best team in the league at the moment and have shown little signs of slowing down. Regardless of how mediocre the pitching unit is, if the offensive numbers stay where they are then the Astros will be in great shape to make a postseason run.
Can Any Team Get Past Houston?
In futures bets, there will always be underdogs who have a shot and for the American League, it’s probably the Chicago White Sox. While Houston ranks No. 1 in most offensive stats, the White Sox aren’t too far behind. This is likely why sports betting sites have the team as a close second option.
Chicago ranks inside the top five in WAR (12.8), wRC+ (106), BA (.249), OBP (.334) and BB% (10.3%). However, the White Sox pitchers have the top spot in WAR (12.6) and K/9 (10.42) while ranking top five in FIP (3.63) and xFIP (3.71).
The White Sox are arguably the more well-rounded team, but less dominant than the Astros.