As we sit just over halfway through the 2022 season, the Houston Astros are the clear front-runners for the automatic bid to the MLB playoffs.
The Seatle Mariners, however, have second thoughts on that. It is looking to be a two-team race as of right now.
Expectations for AL West in 2022
In most divisions, the Mariners would be the team to beat, but unfortunately for them, the Astros exist. For that reason, the Mariners may just be a Wild Card team, even with their aggressive trade deadline acquisitions.
Even though our MLB picks against the spread have favored the team from the Northeast, they are not the go-to team to take the division.
Follow along to see who will win the AL West in 2022. Are the Houston Astros able to continue their magical 67-37 2022 campaign?
Who Are the Favorites?
The Houston Astros are clearly the favorites to take home the AL West division crown as we enter past the halfway point of 2022, but do they have any competition?
As we are over 100 games into the season, the Astros have over a 10-game lead of the first place spot in our MLB standings, and that is with them going 5-5 in their last ten games.
No Garbage Cans, No Problem
Now that the cheating scandals are done, for the most part, the Houston Astros are playing arguably their best baseball. With the third-best record in Major League Baseball, Houston is ready to coast to a playoff spot.
With an incredible offense and great pitching staff, Houston looks to make another run in late October. You might be surprised to read about the hitting statistics for the team from Texas this season.
Batting Average
They are 20th in batting average at .239, 14th in runs per game at 4.45, and 11th in on-base percentage at .317. You expect more out of a team looking to make a run through late October.
The once-surging Astros are slacking off here in the second half of the season; they are 5-5 in the last ten, and that might not cut it if they want to hold the division lead through a 162-game MLB season.
Houston has been part of many scandals, and they are earning back the trust of the rest of the league, but they seem to just never go away. Even without the banging of garbage cans, the Astros are still rolling.
Betting Trends for Houston
It is no question that the Houston Astros moneyline has provided a lot of happiness to bettors around the league putting their money on them, but let’s learn more about how bets have gone their way this season.
MLB odds today are almost always in favor of the Astros to take home the win and are typically the team who has a disadvantage with the spread.
They have 30 more wins than losses on the moneyline thus far in 2022 and look to continue that as they coast to a playoff spot.
Astros at the MLB Odds
At home in Houston this season, the Astros are 33-16 and 34-21 as the road warriors. They feel a lot more comfortable inside their friendly confines without teams heckling them for their antics of the past. During day games, they are 28-12 and 39-25 at night.
When you are favored in almost game you play in, the spread will always be a different story, Houston is still above .500 at 53-51, but you expect more out of them. A lot of that has to do with their powerful offense not always producing the way they should.
They are also 24-25 at home and 29-26 on the road. Daytime games against the spread are 23-17, but the nighttime games this year are 30-34.
Total Lines for the Astros
Games this season have been a lot closer, creating drama for all those betting on the Astros. Finally, everyone’s favorite, the over/under stats for the Astros. With the inconsistent offense this season, it has been hard to hammer the over.
In fact, the Astros over is just 38-63-3. Have of the overs have come at home, and the other half come as the away team on the scoreboard. This is a rare stat to see with one of the top teams in the league.
Key Players to Watch For
Five Houston Astros made the All-Star Game this year. The stud-second basemen Jose Altuve was accompanied by teammates Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez, and Justin Verlander.
The real reason wins have been put on the board this season is almost solely on the dominant pitching staff. With the second-lowest ERA in all of baseball at 3.04, the arms of the entire rotation are hot.
Verlander Performance Recap
Led by the ageless wonder Verlander, they are also second in WHIP at 1.10 (well above the league average), third in strikeouts per game at 7.47, and their starters have 59 quality starts. These numbers will win you ball games.
Verlander is the leader of this team so far this year. The 6-foot-5, 39-year-old leads the team in wins at 14, ERA at 1.82, strikeouts at 122, and he averages only 14.6 pitches per inning. Batters are only hitting .192 on him this season. But baseball is not a one-man sport.
Valdez Performance Recap
The other pitching All-Star, Valdez, has had a breakout season as well. In 128.2 IP, he has a 2.80 ERA with 18 quality starts in 20 tries.
He has the most walks in the starting rotation, but he is doing just fine.
- Jose Urquidy
- Luis Garcia
- Cristian Javier
Top Rotation in the MLB
Round out one of the top rotations in MLB. Alvarez has the highest batting average so far this year, being a hair over .300 at .308 thus far.
He also leads the team in home runs and RBIs and was a no-brainer to be selected to the All-Star Game.
Tucker is second in RBIs and first in steals, Alex Bregman has not gone away either, Altuve is Altuve, and players like Yuli Gurriel and Michael Brantley have been key contributors on the offense side of this team.
Can Seattle Catch Up?
The Seattle Mariners were once the hottest team in MLB, but can they catch up to the almighty Houston Astros to win the AL West. Right now, they sit 12.0 games back of the first place in the talented division.
At this point in the season, it seems to be a two-team race. With the Texas Rangers the next closest team at 20.0 games back at 46-56, it is likely sewn up, but miracles can happen.
Seattle’s Historic Season
Seattle’s historic season has slowed down as of late; the once red-hot team is 4-6 in their last ten and has struggled all season long against the division leaders.
Seattle’s Offense
Seattle’s offense has been lacking this season, even with their home run-hitting rookie, Julio Rodriguez. They are 23rd in runs, 25th in batting average, and 17th in OBS.
These numbers will not cut it if they want to make a push to win the division. The pitching and defense, however, has been great. They are seventh in ERA, eighth in WHIP, third in quality starts, and have the fewest errors in baseball.
Mariners Mediocre Betting Numbers
This is cool and all, but what are their betting trends this season? The Mariners have been pretty mediocre in terms of betting, aside from their seemingly endless winning streak.
They are 55-49 in the moneyline and around the middle of the pack when it comes to the spread at 51-52.
The over/under is 47-53-3. It would be nice to see a change of scenery out West, but the AL West in 2022 belongs to the Astros.
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