MLB AL 2024 Odds: Yankees & Guardians big favorites, Tigers massive underdogs for bookies

After the MLB Wild Card rounds gave fans several days of excitement, the stage is set for the next round of the playoffs. With the stakes even higher, the betting markets continue to favor the divisional winners.

After their victories over the Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles respectively, the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals advanced to the ALDS. The Tigers will face the Guardians for an AL Central showdown, while KC will kick off the five-game series in the Bronx on Saturday.

With the stage set for the next round of the MLB Playoffs, let's explore the odds of the AL teams who remain involved.

Odds of remaining AL Teams in the 2024 MLB Playoffs

Detroit Tigers

Odds of Winning AL Title: +350

The Detroit Tigers made short work of the Astros in the Wild Card round, ensuring that 2024 will mark the first season since 2017 without Houston in the ALCS.

The 682 regular season runs scored by the Tigers are the lowest of any team still in the postseason. However, the club's 3.61 combined ERA in the regular season exactly matches that of the Guardians, who they will play in the next round. 6-7 against the Guardians during the regular season, emerging as the AL champ remains a highly ambitious goal for Detroit.

Kansas City Royals

Odds of Winning AL Title: +330

Amid their first playoff appearance since they won the World Series in 2015, the Royals dusted off the Baltimore Orioles in two games in the Wild Card Series.

All season, starting pitching has been a boon for KC. Three starters - Seth Lugo, Brady Singer, and Cole Ragans - combined for 574 strikeouts this season, and Ragans was singlehandedly responsible for blanking the O's with eight strikeouts in six shutout innings on October 1.

The Royals' hitting also includes some studs, especially AL batting title winner Bobby Witt Jr., and veteran catcher Salvador Perez, who in addition to having his best season in years, also has invaluable postseason experience.

Cleveland Guardians

Odds of Winning AL Title: +310

The Cleveland Guardians had a stupendous season, as was evidenced by their 92 wins - easily enough to win the AL Central. Anchored by star closer Emmanuel Clase, the Guardians boasted an MLB-best bullpen ERA of 2.57. Detroit, the team's upcoming opponent, logged a .233 average in the seventh of later this season.

Cleveland's hitting also contributed to the team posting a home record of 50-30, the best home record in the AL and one of the best in MLB. Jose Ramirez hit 39 home runs, while Josh Naylor hit 31 homers and 108 RBIs, both being career figures. The Guardians, through a combination of pitching and hitting, are certainly a World Series contender.

New York Yankees

Odds of Winning AL Title: +135

After narrowly missing out on their first last-place divisional finish since 1990 in 2023, the New York Yankees are back in a big way. Led by the super slugging duo of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, the 237 home runs hit by the Bronx Bombers this year were the most in MLB.

The Yankees' pitching is also a force to be reckoned with. Gerrit Cole is back and slinging some serious stuff, while Carlos Rodon was durable and reliable for the Yankees in 2024. Seeing that the team went 5-2 against the Royals in the regular season, manager Aaron Boone's team's path to late October looks rather clear-cut.

About the author

Adrian Dorney is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda. Having worked over five years in the industry, Adrian strives to combine statistical analysis with the human side of baseball reporting. Since a lot of his briefs involve publishing content with urgency, he has perfected a process involving a combination of trustworthy sources and assessment with intuition.

His lifelong tryst with baseball began with growing up in Toronto and watching the Blue Jays regularly. His favorite player is Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., and Jose Bautista's go-ahead home run in 2015 ALDS Game 5 remains his favorite baseball memory to date.

When not working, Adrian is constantly looking to learn new things and he also loves playing golf and chess.

Know More