To no one’s surprise, the defending AL Champions lead the way in American League Pennant odds heading into the 2017 MLB postseason. The Cleveland Indians set a new record for the most consecutive wins in 22 straight games this September. Their strong play throughout the season, combined with their ability to string wins together has oddsmakers believing the Indians can repeat last year’s incredible run, which saw them come one game short of winning it all against the Chicago Cubs.

This year, Cleveland seems to be on a mission. They’re favoured at +160 to represent the AL in the World Series in 2017, and are second-favourites, after the Los Angeles Dodgers, to win it all at +350. Their lineup features a potential Cy Young Winner in starter Corey Kluber, a number of proven players returning from last year’s squad, and newcomers that add a new dimension to the team such as DH Edwin Encarnacion. Cleveland has the perfect combination of lights-out pitching, clutch offense and sound defense, plus the experience gained from last season’s run, to put them over the edge when they need it most. In short, there is a reason they won 22 straight games, so look out for Cleveland this postseason. While Cleveland is the favourite in the AL Pennant race, the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox follow close behind.

 

Houston Astros: +220

The Houston Astros are neck-and-neck with the Indians for the best record in the American League. They’re 17-7 so far in September and are heating up at the perfect time of year. Their superstar second baseman, José Altuve, leads the majors in batting average, at a ridiculous .348. Add 24 home runs, 81 RBI, and 32 stolen bases to his year, and Altuve has firmly cemented himself in the AL MVP discussion.

The Astros made arguably the biggest splash at the August trade deadline when they acquired long-time Detroit Tiger, Justin Verlander. Since joining Houston, Verlander has won all four of his starts and has given up only two earned runs over 28 innings. To go along with another tremendous year by Dallas Keuchel, the Astros can match up against any starting rotation in baseball.

 

Boston Red Sox: +350

The Red Sox have all but secured the AL East for the second straight year this season, as they lead the New York Yankees by three games. The Sox have their sights set on avoiding the one-game playoff and have played like it, going 15-8 so far in September. They’ll look to improve upon their performance from last season and push past the ALDS in 2017 - a series in which they were swept by the Indians. With support from the league’s strikeout leader, Boston will have the closest thing to a guaranteed Game 1 victory in Chris Sale.

Bodog has all of your MLB futures odds, so check out your favourite team, see how they rank and don’t miss your opportunity to bet on the AL Pennant race.

 

*Odds as of September 27, 2017