The Toronto Blue Jays enter the playoffs atop the World Series betting odds, perched as 3/1 favourites to win the championship at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The Blue Jays clinched the AL East title last week in familiar fashion, routing the Baltimore Orioles 15-2 to pick up their seventh victory in eight games, but struggled thereafter, dropping their next two contests in Baltimore before losing two of three to the Rays in Tampa to finish the season second place overall in the American League.
Toronto now must regroup ahead of its ALDS clash with the Texas Rangers. However, it remains at a strong 29/20 on the odds to win the AL pennant ahead of Thursday’s Game 1 betting matchup at Rogers Centre.
The Rangers won just four of their last nine games. However, that proved to be adequate to outpace the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels and earn them their first division crown since 2011.
Texas will need to turn things around against a Blue Jays squad that has had their number in recent years. The Rangers have just five wins in their last 19 games against Toronto according to the OddsShark MLB Database, with the Blue Jays winning this year’s season series by a 4-2 margin.
The Rangers also lag on the playoff betting odds, pegged as an 11/2 bet to win the AL pennant and a distant 12/1 to win the first World Series title in franchise history.
The Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals remain the Blue Jays’ closest challengers in World Series betting, each with 5/1 odds.
The Royals recorded a series sweep of the Minnesota Twins this past weekend to finish with the best record in the AL, while the Cardinals’ 100-win campaign has earned them a playoff berth for a fifth straight year.
The NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers sport 6/1 World Series odds, and they advance to the NLDS against the NL East champion New York Mets, who sit at 7/1.
The Chicago Cubs hold the World Series betting edge over the Pittsburgh Pirates ahead of their NL wild-card matchup on Wednesday. The Cubs own 10/1 odds to end their 107-year World Series drought, while the Pirates are an 11/1 bet to claim their first championship in 36 years.
The New York Yankees play host to the Houston Astros in Tuesday’s AL wild-card matchup, with the two clubs deadlocked at 7/1 to win the AL pennant and 14/1 to win the World Series.