Of the six teams that made the postseason in the American League, only two of them are repeats from 2023. All three of the American League Central teams that are in the playoffs are new this year, and the two wild card teams from that division go on the road to begin the postseason on Tuesday.
Detroit Tigers at Houston Astros
The first game of the playoffs is in Houston, where the Astros are in the postseason for the eighth straight year (seven as A.L. West champions), and the Detroit Tigers are making their first trip to the postseason since they won the A.L. Central in 2014.
The Astros are favorites to win the series, paying -180 to advance to the next round. A bet on the Tigers to win the three-game series pays +150.
While the Astros are the model of consistency, seeming to always be in the postseason, Detroit went on an improbable run to get here. On August 11, they were eight games under .500, 11 games outside of the playoffs, and they were at +3000 to make the postseason. Now, here they are, 10 games over .500 and paying +1200 to win the American League pennant.
Houston is paying +320 to win the A.L. pennant and +750 to win the World Series, something they did just two years ago, when they beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.
In Tuesday’s Game 1, the Astros are -130 on the moneyline. Detroit is paying +110 to win Game 1. Game 2 is Wednesday afternoon, and Game 3 (if necessary) is the early game on Thursday.
Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles
Only twice has a team gone from 100 losses in one season to the playoffs in the next: the 2017 Minnesota Twins, and now the 2024 Kansas City Royals. This is Kansas City’s first winning season and playoff appearance since 2015, when they beat the New York Mets in the World Series.
Last year, the Baltimore Orioles were all the rage. They ended a six-year absence from the postseason with 101 wins and an American League East championship. But in their first series of the postseason, they were swept by the Texas Rangers, taking their postseason series losing streak to three. Their last win was in 2014, when they beat the Tigers in three games in the ALDS.. Their losing streak began that year in the ALCS, when they were swept 4-0 by the Royals.
The Orioles are the favorites to get revenge for the 2014 American League Championship Series, paying -172 for the series win. Kansas City is paying +144 to beat Baltimore and advance to the Division Series. The Royals are +1000 to win the American League pennant, while the Orioles are +550.
Game 1 is Tuesday at 4:08 p.m. ET, and the O’s are favored to win it at -155. Kansas City is +130 to win Game 1 on the road in Baltimore. Game 2 has a first pitch scheduled for Wednesday at 4:38 p.m. ET. If necessary, Game 3 is on Thursday at 4:08 p.m. ET.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees finished the regular season as the top seed in the American League, and they will watch the Wild Card with the rest of us. The Division Series is scheduled to begin on Saturday, October 5, and New York will host the winner of the Astros and Royals series.
The Yankees are the +180 favorites to win the American League pennant, and +425 to win the World Series.
Cleveland Guardians
The other first-round bye belongs to the Cleveland Guardians, who are in the playoffs for the sixth time in the last nine years. Five of those postseason trips have been as A.L. Central division champions.
The Guardians will host the winner of the Astros and Tigers in Game 1 of the Division Series on Saturday, October 5. Cleveland is +350 to win their first pennant since 2016, and they are +950 to win their first World Series since 1948.
With over 25 years of experience as a distinguished sports writer for renowned platforms such as Fox Sports and ESPN, Kyle Garlett is a sports betting specialist who has been at the forefront of documenting the global surge in sports betting and online gaming. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kyle hosts an NFL betting YouTube show and podcast. Kyle also has two sports books published by HarperCollins.
Kyle graduated the Azusa Pacific University in 1996 with a B.A. Degree in Communication and Journalism.
