2022 National League Pennant Betting Odds

Until the 2022 season, baseball fans were either National League supporters or American League supporters, depending on their stance on the Designated Hitter rule.

Founded in 1876, the National League had always refused to implement the DH rule and therefore had pitchers take their regular turn in the batting order.

American League fans for years pointed out the ridiculousness of allowing pitchers to hit when they repeatedly failed to show any form of competence in the batter’s box.

National League supporters in turn boasted of the strategy required to manage in the NL, where pinch-hitting and double switches were common in almost every game

The National League was more famous for playing small ball. A walk and a stolen base are just as effective as a double.

The American League was more widely known for home-run hitters and high-scoring games, without the burden of a pitcher coming to bat and ruining a rally.

Both styles of play had their charm and appealed to different fans. But now, after 146 years of watching pitchers flailing away at the plate, the NL has turned its back on tradition and has adopted the DH Rule.

As my Montreal Expos supporting grandfather rolls over in his grave at this news, we dive into the 2022 National League Pennant odds, the first time we analyze this futures bet with the DH rule in effect.

2022 National League Pennant Odds

Favorites

Los Angeles Dodgers – With a $285 million payroll, the Dodgers lead the major leagues in money spent, but that has also translated into capturing the NL pennant three of the previous five seasons.

Hard to believe that the Dodgers won an impressive 106 games last year, but couldn’t win the NL West, as their division rivals from San Francisco won 107.

Dodgers fans are hoping the offseason addition of Freddie Freeman will make sure that doesn’t happen again.

LA boasts an offense that includes Freeman, Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, and more. With huge payrolls come huge expectations in LA. Anything short of a World Series will be deemed unsuccessful.

Atlanta Braves – Last year at the all-star break, the Atlanta Braves were a below .500 team and without superstar Ronald Acuna for the rest of the season.

Most baseball fans thought the Braves season was over at that point and most baseball fans were very wrong.

On July 5th, Atlanta was a +1767 longshot to claim the NL pennant. Team President and GM Alex Anthopolous worked his trade deadline magic to bolster his depleted outfield and the Braves put together a second half that shocked the baseball world and ended with a championship celebration.

With an offense that includes Acuna, newly acquired Matt Olson, the return of Marcell Ozuna, and young slugger Austin Riley, Atlanta has their sights set on a World Series repeat.

Milwaukee Brewers – The Milwaukee Brewers quietly put together a 95-win season last year, trailing only the Dodgers and Giants in total wins by a National League team.

The top of their rotation is comprised of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta. Some would argue they are the best top three starting rotation arms in all of baseball.

Offensively, the Brewers don’t have the star power to match the Dodgers or the Braves. Christian Yelich could be a difference-maker. In the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Yelich combined for 80 home runs and over 200 RBI.

Last year, he hit just nine. The Yelich of old would surely help the Brewers’ odds of winning the NL pennant.

Contenders

New York Mets – With a free-spending owner promising to do whatever it takes to bring a championship to New York, and the offseason signing of free agent Max Scherzer, optimism for Mets fans was running high.

Then Mets fans were given the news that their ace and annual Cy Young contender Jacob deGrom had suffered a stress reaction in his shoulder and was shut down for the first four weeks of the season, if not more.

If you believe that deGrom will rebound from that injury and return to his dominant self, then now is the time to buy the Mets. Unfortunately for baseball fans in New York, that is a big if.

San Diego Padres – In 2021, if it could go wrong for Padres fans, it did go wrong. Fernando Tatis Jr is thought of as one of the game’s most exciting all-around players. Unfortunately, his body seems to be betraying him despite his young age.

After missing 30 games last year and dealing with a reoccurring shoulder issue, Tatis Jr starts the 2022 season injured, now dealing with a fractured left wrist. For some bettors, this might signal an opportunity to buy low on the Padres.

Manny Machado, Luke Voit, and Trent Grisham should carry the load during Tatis’ absence.

If he can return and stay healthy, now might be the best time to buy on the Padres, whose NL pennant odds will surely get shorter once their best player returns.

Philadelphia Phillies – Any team that boasts reigning NL MVP winner Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins, and Kyle Shwarber is going to hit and hit for power. The Phillies will score runs this year, that we know.

Last year, Zack Wheeler received 12 first-place Cy Young votes, finishing runner-up to the Brewers Corbin Burnes. Wheeler is a lock at the top of the rotation.

Aaron Nola and Zach Eflin provide some hope for the rotation, while Ranger Suarez and Kyle Gibson must make Phillies fans a little nervous.

If that SP can all come together this year, Philadelphia will push the Braves in the NL East.

Longshots

San Francisco Giants – After winning 107 games in the regular season last year and holding off the Dodgers to win the NL West, the Giants disappointed their fans in the playoffs, bowing out to their division rivals in the NLDS.

The Giants are spending about $130 million less than LA on team payroll this year, and don’t have the name recognition some of the betting favorites boast.

If Logan Webb, Carlos Rodon, and Alex Wood can live up to their expectations this season, the Giants should have enough starting pitching to keep them in the playoff conversation throughout the season.

St. Louis Cardinals – The St. Louis Cardinals might just be the model franchise in all of MLB. The Cardinals always seem to find themselves in the playoff mix, despite a payroll that is very close to league average.

Offensively St. Louis has Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado to do the heavy lifting and several young prospects who look primed to take the next step.

The Cardinals don’t look flashy on paper, but those attractive bright red uniforms find themselves at or near the top of the standings more often than not.

Why Bet National League Pennant Odds

Futures betting and betting on the NL pennant winner specifically can bring a lot of enjoyment to what is a very long baseball season.

When you are six months out from the start of the playoffs, the MLB odds on many of the teams are very attractive.

Experienced bettors will often do their homework to identify a couple of teams that they believe are undervalued at this point and primed for a better year than most expect.

Having a couple of futures bet tickets in hand on teams with attractive odds can provide enough enjoyment for a fan to last a whole season.

Obviously trying to determine which NL team will be the last one standing at this point of the season isn’t easy.

But those who are well researched and willing to invest in some longshots have a chance to be rewarded with an attractive payout.

Even those who don’t cash winning tickets can enjoy the ride of cheering on teams all season long and chasing that end-of-season payday.

One other advantage that recreational bettors love about futures bets like this is the fact that there are no long-losing streaks when you are wagering on the NL pennant winner.

Do your research, make your educated bets and watch the season unfold. It’s just that easy and fun.

National League Pennant Betting Strategy

All baseball fans know that a 162-game season means teams will experience several ups and downs while it all plays out.

Last year, it was no surprise that the Los Angeles Dodgers opened as the betting favorites to win the National League pennant. All the Dodgers did was go out and win a ridiculous 106 games.

However, that wasn’t enough to catch the 107-game-winning San Francisco Giants, who started the year as heavy underdogs to represent the NL in the Fall Classic.

But it was the Atlanta Braves who provided the biggest roller coaster ride of them all. At the halfway point of the season, odds on Atlanta to be the last NL team standing were high.

The single biggest skill a bettor can have when betting on the National League pennant winner is the ability to recognize a good team that is not yet playing at its best.

Many experienced gamblers don’t judge themselves on wins and losses for this type of bet, but rather on their ability to buy low on teams and then watch them turn it around.

Obviously, anyone who invested in Atlanta when they were 20/1 longshots was happy with their return.

Those who bet Atlanta at 20/1 didn’t necessarily think Atlanta was going to win it all, but they did think the Braves were capable of better results than they had achieved up to that point.

Recognizing teams that are underperforming and whose odds may be underpriced is the game we are playing when betting on the NL pennant winner.

Where Can You Find National League Pennant Odds

Some operators will call it National League pennant betting, but others will refer to it as league winners.

Either way, you are trying to predict the same outcome in each scenario and that is which team will represent the National League in the World Series.

Once you have navigated your way to the MLB betting section of your sportsbook, you will want to click on their MLB futures betting section.

From there, you only need to find the bet called National League Pennant winner or League Winner.

If you are living in a legal state or province within Canada or the United States and using one of the regulated sportsbooks for your location, you can be sure they have this type of MLB futures bet in their product offering.

Recent National League Pennant Winners

Team	Record	Year
Atlanta Braves	88-73	2021
Los Angeles Dodgers	43-17	2020
Washington Nationals	93-69	2019
Los Angeles Dodgers	92-71	2018
Los Angeles Dodgers	104-58	2017
Chicago Cubs	103-58	2016
New York Mets	90-72	2015
San Francisco Giants	88-74	2014
St. Louis Cardinals	97-65	2013
San Francisco Giants	94-68	2012

Looking to bet on the American League Pennant? The odds and breakdown of teams in the running for the title can be found in our in-depth guide.