MLB Playoff Picture: Analyzing The Odds & Chaos In The Final Week

• With the final week of the MLB regular season in action, many teams find themselves in desperate need of a win.
• While the top four teams in each league sit somewhat comfortably, teams in contention for the bottom spots like the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, and St. Louis Cardinals need all the help they can get.
• In terms of futures odds, the New York Yankees still lead betting odds to win the AL at +300 despite currently sitting as the five seed in the playoff picture.

LAS VEGAS – It might be hard to believe for some, but the 2020 MLB regular season is almost complete.

After what will surely go down as the most unique season in the history of Major League Baseball, sixteen teams are looking to advance to the playoffs in the newly altered playoff format of 2020.

Time is running out for teams looking to slide into the bottom spots of the playoff picture, with the National League looking especially messy heading into the final week of play.

The playoff system was expanded this year to accommodate the circumstances, with the top two teams from each division as well as two wild card teams making up the 16 ballclubs advancing to the postseason.

As of Tuesday morning, seven teams have secured playoff berths: The Oakland A’s, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, and San Diego Padres have all secured their place in the wild card round.

Other teams looking to join them early this week are the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago Cubs.

The current playoff picture looks like this, with teams who have clinched marked by asterisks.

🚨ONE WEEK LEFT🚨

Here's how the playoff picture looks as we enter the final 7 days of the regular season!

RT if your squad is currently in! pic.twitter.com/VGGgDSJcfY

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 21, 2020

Some of the tightest races in the league come from the NL East, and NL Central, where the battle for second place will be hard-fought this week.

The Braves have a healthy three-game lead in the NL East over the Miami Marlins, who hold a meager one-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Whoever can get more wins this week between Philly and Miami will decide who can comfortably plan for more baseball and who has to watch the wild card race with bated breath.

The Marlins continue their series against the Braves Tuesday, while the Phillies face a doubleheader Tuesday against the Washington Nationals.

Odds and betting lines for all these games are available via the online sportsbooks.

Aaron Nola takes the mound in Game 1 facing off against Austin Voth for the Nationals, while the Marlins look to bounce back after a close loss last night.

Over in the NL Central, the Cubs are firmly in position to take the top spot. Things get far worse for the second-place race as the St. Louis Cardinals (.510) and Cincinnati Reds (.509) are separated by just one percentage point in terms of win percentage.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers are also just a game back of both of these teams, and a half-game behind the Phillies for the eighth and final spot in the NL.

The Reds and Brewers face off Tuesday after a Cincinnati win Monday, with Sonny Gray taking on Brett Anderson.

In terms of overall MLB futures bets, the lines for who will win each league can be a bit confusing considering where everyone stands in the playoffs.

Take for example the New York Yankees, who still lead the odds to win the American League despite currently sitting as the No. 5 seed in the AL Playoffs.

Bettors can still find great value on teams like the Twins and Indians, who possess the firepower to beat any team in the league implying they make the playoffs.

In the National League, the Dodgers are the comfortable pick to repeat as champions followed by division rival San Diego.

There is tremendous value on teams in the midrange like the Chicago Cubs, who have strong pitching to keep them alive throughout the playoffs.

While this year has been hard on basically everyone living through it, baseball fans should take some time to celebrate and appreciate the pure chaos that will unfold this week as teams jostle to make the playoffs.