MLB Odds: 2023 NL West Division winner prediction and pick

clutchpoints.com

13 July 2023

MLB Odds: 2023 NL West Division winner prediction and pick

The 2023 season rears up this week and the competition in the National League West is getting hotter. We are here to share our MLB odds series, by making a 2023 NL West Division winner prediction and pick for the rest of the season.

The NL West is heating up. Amazingly, it has had several contenders throughout the season. The Dodgers are the Diamondbacks entered the All-Star Break embroiled in a tie for the lead. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants are just 2 1/2 games behind them. Unfortunately, it has not been a good year for the San Diego Padres, who sit 8 1/2 games behind the two leaders. The Colorado Rockies are in last place, sitting at 18 games behind.

Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

MLB Odds: 2023 NL West Division Winner Total Odds

Los Angeles Dodgers: -340

Arizona Diamondbacks: +460

San Francisco Giants: +750

San Diego Padres: +3400

Colorado Rockies: +25,000

Under 82.5 games: -115

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Why The Dodgers Will Win The NL West

The Dodgers have won the NL West in nine of the past 10 games. However, this year has been difficult. They are without Walker Buehler, who may not even make an appearance this season. The Dodgers recently got hot, going 7-3 over the past 10 games. Bow, they must keep the momentum going.

Freddie Freeman has been stellar, with a batting average of .320 with 17 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 72 runs. Additionally, J.D. Martinez is hitting .255 with 22 home runs, 62 RBIs, and 43 runs. Mookie Betts is batting .276 with 26 home runs, 62 RBIs, and 72 runs. Furthermore, Max Muncy is hitting .198 with 21 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 47 runs. But the hitting has not been the issue. Unfortunately, it has been pitching.

Clayton Kershaw has another nagging injury and will try and battle back from it. Ultimately, he is 10-4 with a 2.55 ERA. Julio Urias has not pitched well, garnering a 6-5 record with a 4.76 ERA. Meanwhile, Tony Gonsolin is 5-3 with a 3.86 ERA. But the Dodgers lost Dustin May for the rest of the season. Therefore, they have relied on young guns like Emmet Sheehan and Bobby Miller to get them through.

The Dodgers can win another division title if they can continue to hit the baseball. Moreover, they need some contribution from their pitching staff.

Why The Diamondbacks Will Win The NL West

The Diamondbacks have led the division for the majority of the season. However, they have struggled recently, going 4-6 over 10 games. Christian Walker, Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. have led the hotters. However, they can only do so much when the pitching staff struggles.

Zac Gallen is their best pitcher, with an 11-3 record and a 3.04 ERA. Unfortunately, they have dealt with injuries. Merrill Kelly is currently dealing with an injury. Therefore, the Diamondbacks need better pitching to have a chance to win this division.

Why The Giants Will Win The NL West

No one is paying attention to the Giants. Yet, the Giants are quietly creeping up on the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis, and Thairo Estrada are their best players. Sadly, Estrada is out for a while with an injury.

The Giants have some great pitching. Significantly, Alex Cobb is 6-2 with a 2.91 ERA, while Logan Webb is 8-7 with a 3.14 ERA. These two are the backbone of this team that can carry the load. Regardless, the Giants will need more from their lineup to win this division.

Why The PadresWill Win The NL West

The Padres were supposed to compete for this division. Sadly, they have been the biggest disappointment this season. Fernando Tatis, Juan Soto, Xander Bogaerts, and Manny Machado were supposed to power this lineup to new heights. Unfortunately, Bogaerts has struggled, and the rest of the lineup has not done well.

The rotation has one good starter. Amazingly, Blake Snell is the only consistent pitcher, with an 8-7 record and a 2.85 ERA. Yu Darvish has struggled, with a record of 5-6 and a 4.87 ERA. Additionally, Michael Wacha is dealing with an injury. The Padres will only storm back and win this division if they can get hot at the plate and also find another arm in the rotation.

Why The Rockies Will Win The NL West

They are not the Oakland Athletics. Hence, that is the only good thing to say about the Rockies. The Rockies are in the bottom 10 in most hitting categories. Additionally, they are also the second-worst team in pit5ching.

The Rockies can somehow win the NL West if they can get on an extremely hot winning streak and beat everyone in their division. Somehow, they must start pitching well and not allowing teams to score 25 runs on them in a game at Coors Field.