ALCS Watch: Astros Drop, Rays, Rangers Continue Rising

The American League is still tightly contested, and there’s much to like about the value multiple teams have to reach the ALCS.

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Houston Astros -120 (Last week: -125) 

The Houston Astros remain the class of the American League, even if they don’t have the top record. The defending World Series champs are sitting on top of the AL West but saw a slight decrease in their odds of playing in the ALCS. The Astros’ odds of being in the ALCS dropped from -125 to -120, nothing that should change your opinion about their current price.

Remaining Schedule: Baltimore Orioles (x3), Seattle Mariners (x3), Arizona Diamondbacks (x3), Kansas City Royals (x3) 

Baltimore Orioles +105 (Last week: +105) 

The Baltimore Orioles have had their coming out party in the American League in 2023, with the top record at 93-56. Despite owning the best record, the O’s aren’t battle-tested in the playoffs and have a relatively young roster, making it challenging to know how they’ll react to the postseason. Over the weekend, the O’s demonstrated they could hang with the best against the Tampa Bay Rays and have maintained their +105 price to make the ALCS. 

Remaining Schedule: Houston Astros (x3), Washington Nationals (x2), Cleveland Guardians (x4), Boston Red Sox (x4) 

Tampa Bay Rays +190 (Last week: +200) 

Yes, the Tampa Bay Rays have had some critical injuries to their starting rotation, but this team remains deep and has continued to truck along despite the adversity. After their weekend set with the Orioles, the Rays remain two games back of the O’s for the top spot in the AL East. Both teams have clinched playoff berths, and the Rays have seen their odds of playing in the ALCS rise from +200 to +190. 

Remaining Schedule: Toronto Blue Jays (x6), Los Angeles Angels (x3), Boston Red Sox (x2) 

Minnesota Twins +360 (Last week: +350) 

The Minnesota Twins largely get overlooked due to playing in the dismal AL Central, but we should consider that they have won six of their last ten games and are closing in on locking up the division crown. Even with their solid play in September, the Twins have seen a slight decrease in their odds of playing for the ALCS, falling from +350 to +360 over the last week. 

Remaining Schedule: Cincinnati Reds (x3), Oakland Athletics (x3), Colorado Rockies (x3), Los Angeles Angels (x3) 

Toronto Blue Jays +370 (Last week: +380) 

Starting pitching has continued to be a significant strength for the Toronto Blue Jays, but their lineup has been streaky. The Blue Jays looked defeated after dropping all four games against the Texas Rangers last week but followed that up with an impressive weekend sweep over the Boston Red Sox. With that, the Blue Jays found themselves back in a playoff spot and saw a slight rise in their odds of playing in the ALCS from +380 to +370. 

Remaining Schedule: Tampa Bay Rays (x6), New York Yankees (x6) 

Texas Rangers +370 (Last week: +500)

After sweeping the Blue Jays in a four-game series, the Texas Rangers laid an egg against the Cleveland Guardians over the weekend. The Rangers still find themselves in a playoff spot, but they could have done wonders for their odds had they taken advantage of a series against the Guardians. Regardless of their flaws, the Rangers still saw their odds to be in the ACLS bet down from +500 to +370. 

Remaining Schedule: Seattle Mariners (x7), Los Angeles Angels (x3), Boston Red Sox (x3) 

Seattle Mariners +370 (Last week: +320) 

The Seattle Mariners were MLB’s hottest team in August, but they’ve struggled in September and are coming off being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers. We’ve seen what this team can do when they’re hot, and we also know they boast one of the top starting rotations in baseball. Still, with the M’s sitting on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, they’ve seen their odds of playing in the ALCS drop from +320 to +370 over the last week. 

Remaining Schedule: Texas Rangers (x7), Houston Astros (x3), Oakland Athletics (x3) 

Odds to Make the ALCS on the FanDuel Sportsbook