The start of July marks the point of the MLB regular season when wins and losses have a bigger impact on each division title race. Especially this season with the biggest division lead only being four games.

You can definitely add the AL East to the list of tight battles for the top spot in the standings. With every MLB team closing in on the halfway point of its full 162-game season, this is a great time of the year to find the best betting value in their odds to win a division title.

Updated MLB AL East Division Winner Odds

As far as the AL East, the Red Sox have outperformed expectations while the New York Yankees are farther off the pace as compared to preseason projections. The sweet spot in the mix could be the Tampa Bay Rays as the top-valued team.

Boston Red Sox

AL East Odds: +200

Boston tops the list in the AL East standings at 47-31 through 78 games but it is a second- favorite on the MLB futures board to actually win the division title this season. I still see quite a bit of value in these odds given what this team has been able to accomplish so far.

This was supposed to be a bit of a rebuilding year for the Red Sox as third or even fourth- favorites on the preseason betting board. However, they are second in the AL in total runs scored. The big concern over the second half of the season is Boston’s team ERA of 4.09. That could be an issue down the stretch.

Tampa Bay Rays

AL East Odds: +160

Tampa Bay is the favorite to win this division behind the most effective pitching staff in the AL when it comes to team ERA (3.38). Pitching wins championships and that is the Rays’ overall strong suit so far this year.

Balance also adds value to their betting futures to win the AL East behind the third-most runs scored in the AL. It is hard to bet against Tampa Bay given how well it has played through its first 79 games at 47-32.

Toronto Blue Jays

AL East Odds: +525

Toronto is third in the current standings at 40-36 and it slipped to fourth in its betting odds. The Blue Jays know how to drive runs across the plate with an average of 4.97 a game. This is another team with some concerns throughout its pitching staff behind a team ERA of 3.94.

Making up that much ground against Boston and Tampa Bay is going to be tough to do unless quite a few breaks fall the Blue Jays’ way in their second half run.

New York Yankees

AL East Odds: +300

New York still has the pitching to close a 6.5-game gap in the AL East standings but I do not thing it will get it done. Money is still coming in on the Yankees to win the division title but that is keeping the odds artificially lower than they should be.

You are paying for New York’s popularity at +300 to win the AL East. The team’s issues scoring runs as the 13th lowest scoring team in the AL cannot be ignored.

Baltimore Orioles

AL East Odds: +250000

As expected, Baltimore is the only team you can rule out of the AL East title race. At 24-54, the Orioles appear destined to have the worst record in the AL this season. Nothing is going to dramatically change with this team to alter that course over the next three months.

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