The Padres and their rivals. The story so far in MLB 2023

Time flies. It only seems like a matter of weeks ago that the baseball season got underway, and the Padres got off to a less than auspicious start. Plenty of water has gone under the bridge since that game, bringing decidedly mixed fortunes to the Padres. More than half the season has gone and thoughts will soon be focused on the playoffs.

Will the padres repeat last year’s heroics with a wild card berth? Could they go further? And what other teams are liable to create an upset and spoil the party for the Atlanta Braves or Tampa Jays. Let’s find out.

Playoff chances – the view from the betting sites

Last year saw the Padres involved in the post season for only the second time in 15 years. Could they make it three this year? That has been the topic on most people’s minds and from US coast to coast, gambling sites in the United States have been weighing in with their opinions on this and the broader playoff picture for the nation’s sports betting enthusiasts.

At the end of June, even the most optimistic fans would have rated the chances low as the Padres ended the month with a six-game losing run that saw them nursing a 37-45 record. However, opening up the new month with a 6-2 run at the time of writing has given just a chink of hope. A 47.8 percent record is not going to get them into the playoffs, but the 54.9 percent that saw them through last year is still attainable.

The sports books are certainly not ruling it out. The general consensus is that the Dodgers have the NL West all but sewn up. However, most are offering odds of around +220 on the Padres to once again make the 2023 playoffs via a Wildcard berth.

Daring to dream of postseason glory

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the last time the Padres won a National League Pennant. The sports books have them at around +2000 to repeat it in 2023. It’s fair to say that would represent a big news story and a tough day to be a bookie, but MLB’s history is littered with tales of underdogs pulling off extraordinary victories. In other words, stranger things have happened.

If you are looking for an outside shot however, there are other options worth considering for your hard earned dollars, even if they are not quite so much fun.

Some other compelling outside shots

Starting with the playoff picture, the Red Sox are languishing at the foot of the AL East. Yet look a little closer and you will see that means practically nothing. The division is incredibly close, and a couple of favorable results could see Boston snapping at the heels of the Orioles for second place. From that perspective, the +275 odds on them to make the playoffs are surely worth a few dollars.

Want to have a punt at the overall World Series winner? The bookies can’t see beyond the Braves and the Rays, but we are not so sure. The Rangers have looked very solid so far and at +1,400 are a compelling option.

Finally, MVP is always an interesting call, and lack of wagers encourages sports books to keep the odds sensible. In the National League, they are fixated on Ronald Acuna Jr anyway, but there is still a lot of season left. Mookie Betts has been dynamite for the Dodgers this season and although he’s been talking himself down, some sports books still have him as long as +1,500, which is very hard to ignore.