National League Second-Half Betting Preview & Picks

National League Best Bets Analysis

The National League playoff picture is wide open heading into the second half of the season.

The Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Milwaukee Brewers have healthy leads in their respective divisions.

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However, the National League Wild Card has ten teams either in a Wild Card spot or just four games out of the Wild Card.

The following week will help teams in the National League decide if they’re contenders or pretenders. But as of now, every team in the National League other than the Rockies and Marlins is competing for a playoff spot.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of our National League best bets below. 

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Giants at Dodgers Betting Analysis

Before our Giants betting analysis and Dodgers game predictions, the updated MLB odds:

Odds to win National League

National League Second-Half Betting Analysis

Almost any team can say they’re contenders for the playoffs in the National League. Therefore, we likely won’t see any trades between a contending team in the National League Wild Card until July 30.

The Miami Marlins could deal with some players. But other than that, most National League teams will wait as long as they can before selling assets. This is also why, when reading rumors, most players rumored to be available are American League players.

Names rumored to be on the market include Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Garrett Crochet, and Luis Robert Jr. Those four players are all in the American League.

Most recently, the Chicago Cubs are ready to make trades and sell-offs. Meanwhile, the Brewers are still in the market for another reliable starting arm. They’re at the top of the NL Central but still want to sustain that success throughout the second half and in the playoffs.

The MLB Trade Deadline typically dictates a lot for the remainder of the season and playoffs. Don’t forget how the Atlanta Braves turned things around once Ronald Acuna Jr. tore his ACL for the first time in 2021. Atlanta brought in Jorge Soler, Joc Pederson, Adam Duvall, and Eddie Rosario five days after Acuna Jr. got hurt and won the World Series, with all four contributing at a high level.

Also, Justin Verlander was traded from the Tigers to the Astros in 2017 and won the ALCS MVP Award. He went 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in September and finished the playoffs with a 4-1 record and a 2.21 ERA. So again, the deadline will dictate a lot for the National League.

National League Previous Winners and Betting Trends

The Los Angeles Dodgers have won the NLCS three of the last six seasons. However, Los Angeles hasn’t made it into the NLCS in two consecutive seasons. 

The Phillies won the NLCS in 2022 and lost in Game 7 against the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. They’re still looking to win a World Series, but they failed in the previous two seasons.

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National League Best Bets

Philadelphia Phillies To Win NLCS +210

The Philadelphia Phillies have been to the NLCS in back-to-back seasons. The Phillies won one of the two series but haven’t won a World Series with their core.

There was a time when Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and J.T. Realmuto were injured and out. Yet, the Phillies held on to their massive NL East lead and still have it.

Now those four players are back in the lineup. In addition, the Phillies have a ridiculous starting rotation featuring Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez, who has broken out this season.

The Phillies will be tough to beat in the playoffs. It’s why they’re one of our favorite National League best bets.

New York Mets To Win NLCS +3000

The New York Mets are trending toward being buyers at the MLB Trade Deadline. The Mets started the season horribly. But now they’re 50-48 after the weekend and will return starter Kodei Senga later this week.

Senga was expected to be the ace of the staff. He will be a tremendous addition. Plus, the offense has been doing very well over the last 30 days. It’s up to the bullpen to find success. The Mets could be dangerous if they find dominant bullpen arms and potentially another impact bat.

Pittsburgh Pirates To Win The NLCS +10000

It’s ridiculous that the Pittsburgh Pirates are +10000 odds.

Right now, the Pirates are .5 games out of an NL Wild Card spot. Let’s say Pittsburgh finds a way into the playoffs.

They’d have Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, and Mitch Keller as their key starters. That’s tough to beat. Pittsburgh also has an underrated bullpen. They can throw multiple lefties, including Josh Fleming, and maybe Quinn Priester will develop into a solid arm by the time the playoffs come around.

Additionally, Bryan Reynolds has been on a tear offensively. He, Oneil Cruz, and Joshua Palacios have destroyed right-handed pitching. This squad also doesn’t strike out at a super high rate against righties.

Why not put some change on the Pirates? The MLB schedule Monday includes a series opener against the Cardinals. A win in this series would make you think.

Pittsburgh isn’t our best MLB bets for today—that’s the Phillies. But a small gamble on the Pirates would make sense.