Astros Surge in the Pennant Race: AL Odds & Analysis

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00:00If we are taking a look at the AL in totality here at the FanDuel Sportsbook, there are

00:06five teams at a 10 to 1 price or less to win that AL pennant.

00:10That's the Twins, Guardians, Astros, Orioles, and Yankees.

00:12Now up top, obviously, it's the Yankees and the Orioles.

00:15But look at the Houston Astros at a plus 4.30 price.

00:17Let me ask you this question, Mark, outside of the Yankees and the Orioles, who right

00:21now are considered the top dogs, are we trusting the Houston Astros now?

00:25A team that I left for dead a month and a half ago, now surging, looks like they're

00:28going to win the AL West.

00:29But I still can't buy back into the Astros.

00:31Do you have a pathway to victory that you see for the Houston Astros here?

00:36Yeah, actually I do.

00:38And again, I told you guys back in the middle of June, I thought Houston was a great bet

00:41to win the AL West.

00:43When you look at, look, adding, Franbois Valdez, first of all, at the top of the rotation.

00:47They add Yusei Kikuchi, who has been very good since coming over.

00:50Not only that, Hunter Brown and Ronel Blanco have quietly had fantastic seasons.

00:55They have the best starting staff, all deference to the Cleveland Guardians, who have been

00:59very, very good in the starting pitching role.

01:02But they have the best starting depth, one, two, three, and four of any pitching team

01:07in the American League.

01:08They just do.

01:09That's what their strength is.

01:11And obviously, look, if Houston somehow, I don't think they'll be able to snake homefield

01:15advantage from anybody.

01:17But at least in the first couple of rounds, getting to the ALCS, guess what?

01:21They're going to have homefield advantage, play a ton of runs.

01:25It took them a while to get going.

01:27But they've also got the postseason experience.

01:29They've also got players who have been through this ringer several times before.

01:32You know, the Guardians and the Yankees and the Orioles don't have a lot of deep postseason

01:36experience because guess what?

01:37They haven't gotten there.

01:38So from that standpoint, you know, these are teams that are all kind of chasing Houston

01:44down as far as, you know, trying to be a team that can upset the apple cart for them to

01:48win the World Series.

01:49Texas pulled it off last year, but I don't think any of these teams, I wouldn't bet any

01:54of these teams head-to-head in Houston in the ALCS right now.