The 2023 NFL season is approaching, but so is the final full month of the MLB season. With several tight divisional and wild card races still yet to be determined, several high-value futures bets on the board are worth locking in now.
Gerrit Cole to win AL Cy Young (-125)
The Yankees season has been a disappointment, but you can’t blame that on Mr. Cole. Cole’s 4.6 WAR is 0.6 better than any other pitcher in MLB, and his 3.03 ERA also leads the American League.
There won’t be a World Series Championship in New York this year, but you can bet on Cole to bring home the AL Cy Young Award.
Chicago Cubs to win NL Central (270)
The Brewers may hold the division lead, but the Cubs have plenty of time to make up the 3.5-game difference. The Brewers and Cubs still have to face each other six times this season and have a three-game head-to-head series beginning on August 28.
According to the Power Rankings Guru, the Cubs also have the second easiest remaining strength of schedule left in MLB. In the wild, wild central, Chicago holds excellent value.
Houston Astros to win American League (350)
Despite dealing with several injuries this season, most notably Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve, the Houston Astros are still in prime position to not only win the AL West but also reach the World Series again.
Framber Valdez has been having a Cy Young-caliber season, and with the trade deadline and addition of Justin Verlander, the Astros are poised to make another deep playoff run. With better than 3-to-1 odds, sign me up for the Astros, even if they do it as a wild card contestant.
Detroit Tigers ( 4,500)
No doubt, this is a massive long shot, but I believe Detroit is well worth a $10 bet with a potential $450 payout. As of August 25, the Tigers have the third weakest remaining schedule in MLB, while the Guardians have the eighth most difficult. While the Twins are still the leaders of the pack, Minnesota does have a difficult stretch of games between the Rangers and Guardians until September 8.
Detroit will play 13 total games between the Yankees and White Sox from August 28-Sept. 7 with the way the offense has picked up, they have a legit shot to do some real damage. The once light-hitting Tigers are fifth in MLB in home runs hit since August 1 and are showing signs of life.
The Tigers winning 20 of their last 35 games and the Twins going 13-22 over the same stretch is a risk I am willing to take for this price.
TEAM | ODDS |
---|---|
Chicago Cubs | -125 |
Detroit Tigers | +4.500 |
Houston Astros | +350 |
Texas Rangers | +800 |
Baltimore Orioles | +1000 |
Tampa Bay Rays | +1200 |
Toronto Blue Jays | +1800 |
Philadelphia Phillies | +2200 |
Justin Steele (1500)
Zac Gallen is the favorite, and strong cases can also be made for Blake Snell and Spencer Strider. As impressive as those other arms have been, Justin Steele is drastically undervalued here. Although the strikeout numbers are not great, as of August 24, Steele’s 3.2 WAR is tied for fourth in the National League.
Steele’s 14 wins also are tied for the best in MLB. With plenty of opportunity in September and a relatively manageable remaining schedule, it will be hard to deny Steele of this award if he can finish an 18-5 record and get Chicago in the postseason.
Cole Train at the Trop 🚂 pic.twitter.com/10y364q8kC
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 26, 2023
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| Title: High-Value MLB Futures Bets that make sense to lock in before September
| Author: David Marotta
| Date: August 28th, 2023