The AL West has been everything and more in terms of excitement and talent. The Houston Astros thrusted themselves back into the division picture after the Texas Rangers held on to first place for majority of the season.
Some teams fell by the wayside (Angels), and others never gave up despite inconsistencies (Mariners). It has led to what should be the most exciting division race heading towards the end of the 2023 season.
Let’s take a look at the updated AL West odds and best bets.
AL West Betting Odds 2023
To see the most up-to-date AL West odds from our favorite sportsbooks, adjust the module below and select MLB - American League West - Winner:
2023 AL West MLB betting odds as of Monday, Aug. 28, at 5 p.m. ET on Caesars Sportsbook.
- Houston Astros (+145)
- Seattle Mariners (+155)
- Texas Rangers (+225)
- Los Angeles Angels (+60000)
The poor Athletics can’t even get a charity odds number. The division race is tight and the odds reflect as much.
AL West Best Bet 2023
Texas Rangers (+240)
DraftKings Sportsbook • 1 Unit
Taking the knuckle-dragging into September?
Yes.
The Rangers are a top-10 pitching and hitting team according to FanGraphs WAR, something only the Mariners can claim in this close race between three teams. Texas is the only team of the trio that has a positive offensive and defensive WAR, which are both top-10 numbers.
The starting pitching concerns are on par with a team such as the Baltimore Orioles — a number of nice pitchers, but no true ace. Max Scherzer has a lot of fight in him, but his fastball can get crushed partially due to aging and not having movement.
If Nathan Eovaldi can return in September and get a start or two under his belt, this rotation looks better. Eovaldi was in the AL Cy Young conversation before being placed on the 15-day IL in July.
The Rangers offense is getting healthier with the return of Jonah Heim. If AL Rookie of the Year candidate Josh Jung gets reps heading into the stretch run, the Texas offense will be at full strength and without depth concerns.
There is some wish casting with this bet, but the worst stretch of their season has them one game out of the division lead as of Aug. 28, making this my MLB bet of the day.
See the latest MLB futures odds and picks
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AL West Contenders 2023
Seattle Mariners (+160)
FanDuel Sportsbook • 1 Unit
Seattle’s hot stretch may be a little over their actual play, but they belong in the conversation of prospective AL West winners.
Like Texas, the Mariners rank inside the top 10 in pitching and batter WAR and boast the second-best pitching staff by the same metric. Even with a hot offense that was making up for lost time, their remaining schedule is a gauntlet.
The M’s get easier matchups versus Oakland and at New York (NL) before series at Cincinnati, at Tampa Bay, at home versus both Los Angeles teams, at Oakland, at Texas, and then versus Houston and Texas.
The five road series (with three against playoff contenders) are far from ideal, and the division could come down to winning at home. Fortunately for Seattle, it has the second-best home record amongst the three AL West contenders.
If the schedule wasn’t as difficult, Seattle would be the best bet to win the AL West.
Houston Astros (+150)
FanDuel Sportsbook • 0.5 Units
The biggest concern for the Astros is roster depth. The pitching staff is finally getting starters back in time to give their young arms are break after carrying the team through injuries, but the offense is susceptible.
José Altuve has been good when he’s not hurt (89 games played), Alex Bregman has two more home runs than Chas McCormick and Yordan Álvarez with significantly more at-bats, and free agent addition José Abreu has a -17.9 offensive WAR and -1.2 WAR overall.
Justin Verlander has already been worth 0.9 WAR in five starts, which says more about the rest of the rotation than him, while Framber Valdez has a 3.5 WAR in 25 starts.
Experience is key for Houston to clinch the division, and it’s what has gotten them this far. Houston has four easier matchups the rest of the way with two against Kansas City, one against New York (AL), and one against Oakland.
The Astros will need help from outside the division. They have three series against AL West teams for the remainder of the season.
