Last year's MLB playoffs showed just how crazy this sport really is, and it's about to get even crazier this year in the National League as we approach playoff season.
With the playoffs due to start late next month, the NL pennant is shaping up to be a close run race especially as an extra team is set to join the race for the title this time around.
We'll take a look at the favorites to be successful in the closing section of the season and provide you with our best free MLB betting picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash for the fall.
| MLB NL Outrights |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +145 | +135 |
| New York Mets | +275 | +250 |
| Atlanta Braves | +325 | +375 |
| St Louis Cardinals | +900 | +1000 |
| San Diego Padres | +1400 | +1200 |
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MLB NL Pennant Favorites
Los Angeles Dodgers - (+145)
Los Angeles entered the season as MLB World Series favorites and have continued to why throughout the season so far with some top performances.
The Dodgers have a batting average of .261 and a .785 OPS, which are both ranked as number one in the NL. The Dodgers has players like Trea Turner, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger, who are capable of frightening any pitching staff with their skills.
The Dodgers have a dangerous pitching staff themselves, but have been handicapped by injuries so far.
Tyler Anderson, Julio Urias and Clayton Kershaw will likely be the three man rotation with Tony Gonsolin and Walker Buehler both dealing with health issues.
Despite the injuries this season, Los Angeles has the NL best ERA at 2.84 and remain our MLB betting pick for the NL pennant.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
New York Mets - (+275)
New York step into the conversation as the second favorite for the MLB crown and rightly so.
The Mets have hit a .257 batting average and an OPS of .734, ranking them 4th and 5th in the National League respectively in both standings. New York has seen a monster season from Pete Alonso individually in MLB, while Francisco Lindor has been superb too but with less limelight on him.
The Mets have one of the league’s best rotations with Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer, Taijuan Walker and Jacob deGrom.
New York has a 3.51 ERA, which is ranked at 3rd in the NL. The Mets will look to keep their staff healthy though, which has been a problem the last couple of seasons and eventually their downfall when they should've done better than they actually did.
New York enters this season as a serious contender with their solid bats and dominant pitching staff. With the depth they have they should be able to go deep in the playoffs but they must ensure they don't miss out on the top seed to Atlanta. At +275 they're a good value betting pick.
Atlanta Braves - (+375)
The Braves have been strong at the plate throughout this season and have a good chance of causing an upset this year.
Atlanta has earned a .253 batting average and an OPS of .760, which are ranked 5th and 2nd in the National League respectively. The Braves have been led by Austin Riley, Matt Olson and Dansby Swanson, who all have more than 75 RBI’s each.
Atlanta has a strong four man rotation with Max Fried, Kyle Wright, Spencer Strider and Charlie Morton. Fried, Wright and Strider all have below a 3.00 ERA on the season.
Last season’s run was build a lot on Atlanta’s bullpen that brings back A.J. Minter and Tyler Matzek, while bringing in closer Kenley Jansen. If they do that again, and managed to steal top seed from New York then their path will be much easier and they can't be ruled out.
St Louis Cardinals - (+1000)
St. Louis has been solid on offense throughout the season and because of that can't be totally ruled out here.
The Cardinals have a .258 batting average and an OPS of .759, which are both 3rd in the NL. St. Louis has been led by Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, who both have more than 25 homers and 85 RBI’s. Albert Pujols has been strong off the bench as well, adding 15 home runs and really proving his worth to the team.
The Cardinals pitching rotation has been led by Miles Mikolas, Adam Wainwright, Dakota Hudson and Jordan Montgomery. St. Louis has seen these four players step up on the season and will be relying on them heavily to come up with the goods during the playoffs. The Cardinals have a combined ERA of 3.81, which is 5th in the NL.
St. Louis has a solid all around team, which could make some noise in the playoffs but it's long shot. They could draw a tough first round opponent in the San Diego Padres, but if they can get going and build some momentum that could carry over.
St. Louis will need to lean on Goldschmidt and Arenado at the plate, which could be their downfall, but it's worth keeping an eye on them.
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