AL Central Winner Odds, Picks & Predictions 2023

The Cleveland Guardians have made one of the biggest cases for any team in the MLB to be in favor of their division. After a tough 3-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners on the 2023 MLB Opening Day, the Guardians bounced back in a big way to win the remaining three games on the road. The Guardians have won in a variety of different ways that include a 9-4 win, a 2-0 shutout win, and the last matchup a 6-5 win.

The Guardians have done a solid job accounting for hits and getting on base in just four games this season. Seven players this season have accounted for at least three hits and five players have been walked at least three times. Designated hitter Josh Bell has been walked six times this season. Among the biggest contributors in the batting game in the first four games, this season is catcher Mike Zunino, who has accumulated four runs, four hits, two double-base hits, one home run, three RBIs, two walks, a batting average of .444 and an on-base percentage of .545 in nine at-bat appearances.

One of the biggest keys for the Guardians this season might be the stellar pitching, especially from Aaron Civale and Shane Bieber. In a combined 13 innings pitched and 46 batters faced, Civale and Bieber only allowed eight hits, no runs and one walk while delivering six strikeouts. If the replacement and closing pitchers play up to the consistency of the starting pitchers, this could be one of the toughest teams to face at-bat in the MLB.

Minnesota Twins (+210 DraftKings Sportsbook)

The other team in the AL Central Division that has started on a great note is the Minnesota Twins. The Twins opened their season with a 2-0 road win over AL Central rivals Kansas City Royals. They followed that up two days later in a 2-0 win and then a solid 7-4 win over the Royals a day later to get a head start in the divisional standings over the Guardians.

Minnesota’s batting team wasn’t strong in their first two outings against the Royals, but the pitching was highly efficient. Starting pitcher Pablo Lopez only allowed two hits and three walks while delivering eight strikeouts in five-plus innings pitched on Opening Day. There were only two walks after Lopez was replaced. Led by starting pitcher Sonny Gray, the Twins allowed only four hits and five walks while delivering five strikeouts in game two. The batting picked up in game three as the Twins accounted for 13 hits. First baseman Joey Gallo had a huge batting performance as he hit two home runs.

The pitching bullpen looks to be on point with the Guardians as one of the toughest teams to face. Minnesota has talented batters on their team and will need to utilize their ability to account for hits and get on base to score early and often. The Twins will have to contain their problems with striking out as they have struck out 26 times in three games, which is the fifth-most in the AL. If Minnesota can control its strikeouts and create some consistency in its batting game, it will be in serious contention for its ninth AL Central Divisional title.

Chicago White Sox (+260 DraftKings SportsBook)

The Chicago White Sox have seen some up-and-down performances in their first four games of the 2023 MLB Season. They started with a surprising 3-2 road win over the Houston Astros on Opening Day. After the opening game, the White Sox lost two consecutive games against the Astros 6-3 on Friday, March 31 and 6-4 on Saturday, April 1. They were able to rebound and finish the series with a 6-3 win on Sunday, April 2.

For the White Sox to split a series with the defending World Series champions is significant and something to be wary of for other teams as the season progresses. Chicago has shown it can create runs and scoring opportunities with some of the top offenses in the league. One of the biggest reasons for the success in the batting game is the contribution of third baseman Yoan Moncada, who has accumulated three runs, eight hits, three double-base hits, two home runs and four RBIs. Three players for the White Sox, including Moncada, have an on-base percentage of .450 or more.

While other teams in the division had their main pitchers throw in several innings, the White Sox have done a good job of evenly spreading out their starting pitchers. The White Sox are a team that can fly under the radar and account for surprising wins. They are not a team that has heavy hitters or star pitchers as the Guardians or the Twins, but they are talented to remain a threat throughout the field.

Kansas City Royals (+3000 DraftKings Sportsbook)

While the Guardians, Twins and White Sox have started the season well to show they are serious contenders for the AL Central Division, the Kansas City Royals have not been able to provide the same argument. The Royals dropped off all three of their games against the Twins to start the 2023 season as one of the batting games was poor. Kansas City dropped their first two games of the season to Minnesota 2-0 before establishing a little bit of rhythm in the 7-4 loss in game three.

The pitching for the Royals has played well or at least played at the average level of the rest of the AL. Zack Greinke has allowed only six hits, two runs and one walk while delivering four strikeouts. As a whole, the pitching team for the Royals have allowed 28 hits (eighth best in the AL), 11 runs (fifth best in the AL) and allowed only two home runs (fourth best in the AL).

The batting team for the Royals has been abysmal at best. Kansas City has accumulated only four runs (13th in the AL), 12 hits (last in the AL), no stolen bases, a batting average of .133 (last in the AL) and an on-base percentage of .250 (14th in the AL). There is time for the Royals to turn their season around, but they need to find some life at the batting plate.

Detroit Tigers (+3500 DraftKings Sportsbook)

It is no surprise that the Detroit Tigers were going to be among the worst teams in the MLB this 2023 season. They showed their inability to play up to the production level of other teams in the league as they lost their first three games to start the season, all against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Tigers lost on Opening Day to the Rays 4-0 followed by a crushing 12-2 defeat one day later. They finished the series with a 5-1 loss.

The Tigers have had problems on both sides of the field in those three games. In the pitching game, the Tigers have allowed 27 hits and 21 runs (12th in the AL). Their batting game has been inefficient as they have accumulated three runs (14th in the AL), 14 hits (14th in the AL), only one home run, walked six times (last in the AL), accounted for a batting average of .147 (14th in the AL) and an on-base percentage of .198 (15th in AL).

The Tigers are in the category already this season of being named one of the worst teams in the league. If there is a hindsight moving forward this season, it is that they are not far off from lapping the Royals in the standings consistently. Once Detroit accomplishes this, they could see some development throughout the season.

How to Place a Futures Bet on the AL Central Division

Users can place bets on DraftKings by clicking on the link here. WSN has an instruction guide on how to make proper. Profits and credits are rewarded by how successful a user makes on a team’s future and how likely they are to win the AL Central. If a user places a bet on the lower odds like the Guardians, Twins or the White Sox, the more likely they are to be successful. If a user places the future divisional odds on the Royals or the Tigers, the less likely they are going to win, but the more winnings a user will get if the pick is correct at the end of the season.