The Houston Astros entered the 2023 season as the defending American League and World Series champions.
Their slow start opened the door for numerous other AL teams to grab the top spot for the majority of this season. That has not stopped the Astros from getting back into the playoff race. The question is, do they have the best odds heading into the final month of the season?
Let’s look at current betting odds to determine the best bet to win the 2023 American League pennant.
American League Pennant Betting Odds 2023
To see the most up-to-date AL Pennant odds from our favorite sportsbooks, adjust the module below and select MLB - American League - Winner:
Let’s focus on 2023 AL Pennant MLB betting odds on Caesars Sportsbook, current as of Thursday, August 24, 2023, at 5 p.m. ET.
- Houston Astros (+325)
- Texas Rangers (+350)
- Baltimore Orioles (+375)
- Tampa Bay Rays (+475)
- Seattle Mariners (+750)
- Toronto Blue Jays (+1000)
- Minnesota Twins (+1200)
- Boston Red Sox (+6000)
- Cleveland Guardians (+10000)
- Rest of AL at or worse than (+12500)
The Astros have had a rollercoaster season, but they find themselves in the thick of the AL West race — and thus the American League race. The AL West has three teams that could win the division, which gives them all the chance to get a breather before the ALDS.
The AL East has been a gauntlet, and the division has navigated bumps and bruises as four teams have remained realistic playoff contenders.
American League Pennant Best Bet 2023
Baltimore Orioles (+425)
BetMGM Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
The amount of young, inexperienced talent is arguably the biggest detriment for the Orioles. It is terrifying to go into the playoffs with the majority of your best players with two or fewer years of experience, yet Baltimore doesn’t give me as much fear as other teams have in the past.
Adley Rutschman is arguably the best overall catcher in MLB, and he has been a big reason for the pitching success. The bullpen is elite, even with Yennier Canó and Félix Bautista showing hiccups in their sterling seasons. It just can’t be taxed to the point they have too many innings on their arms in the postseason.
The offense has few holes, mainly at shortstop with Jorge Mateo. The 28-year-old makes up for a quiet bat with a 97.5% fielding rate.
Jack Flaherty, Kyle Gibson, and Kyle Bradish have to pitch like the top-three pitchers they are for the team to win the pennant. The combo of pitching to contact and good defense helps alleviate their lack of a shutdown starter.
American League Pennant Favorites 2023
Houston Astros (+380)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
What is old is new again with Justin Verlander back in Houston after a trade-deadline deal with the Mets. Verlander is not pitching as well as his 2022 AL Cy Young campaign, but comfort matters, and it is clear he is comfortable again.
Health is the major concern because the pitching staff has been a turnstile, especially in the rotation. J.P. France and Hunter Brown have pitched well considering they weren’t on the team to start 2023. The rotation is getting players back, which is bad news for the rest of the AL.
Kyle Tucker is a top MVP candidate in any year that Shohei Ohtani doesn’t go stratospheric, like he has in 2023. The hitters down the lineup are a liability. Good pitching against Houston could be what unravels their impressive push in the second half.
Texas Rangers (+500)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.5 Units
DK is hanging the best line on the best offense in the American League. That’s a great start.
Starting pitching is the issue for Texas, as Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney, and Dane Dunning are all tripping over themselves to solidify the third spot in the rotation behind Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery.
Texas has the sixth-best pitching staff among AL teams in the playoff hunt, according to Fangraphs WAR. That works for the entirety of the season, but the trust factor drops precipitously the longer a series goes.
See the latest MLB futures odds and picks
- World Series Predictions & Odds
- AL MVP Predictions & Odds
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- NL MVP Predictions & Odds
- NL Cy Young Predictions & Odds
American League Pennant Sleeper 2023
Toronto Blue Jays (+1000)
Caesars Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.1 Units
Toronto’s pitching staff is better than Texas’, with the unit tied with Minnesota with the third-best pitching WAR in baseball. If Alek Manoah can contribute as the fourth starter/long reliever for the Jays in the playoffs, assuming they make it, that would make this team more appealing.
The offense has been stuck in neutral since the Clinton administration. Sarcasm aside, the offense has somehow remained top 10 in WAR, strikeout rate, and on-base percentage. They’re one of the worst baserunning teams in the league (-5.4 BsR, 22nd in MLB), which is an issue when runs are at a premium in the postseason.
Missing the playoffs would feel like an underachievement for the Blue Jays, but if they make it to October, it would not be surprising to see them rep the AL.