NL West 2022 preview, divisional odds & betting predictions

Baseball is back!

The MLB and the Players Association reached an agreement on Thursday on a new collective bargaining agreement. Opening day has now officially been scheduled for April 7. The two parties reached an agreement right before the owner’s self-imposed deadline to have a full 162-game season, meaning not only will we have baseball this year but we’ll have a whole season which is something that looked very unlikely just a couple of days ago.

It’s only fitting that with baseball officially scheduled to be back in just under a month, we wrap up previews of each individual division in the MLB, ending with the National League West.

NL West betting odds

• Los Angeles Dodgers -150
• San Diego Padres +200
• San Fransisco Giants +600
• Colorado Rockies +10000
• Arizona Diamondbacks +10000

All odds provided by Bovada

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers are favored to win the NL West yet again after establishing themselves as World Series favorites for the foreseeable future. The Dodgers have it all, they have the money to spend in free agency, the farm system to plug in talent when players go down, and a highly effective analytical approach to the game that should set them up to be consistent winners for years to come.

Despite everything mentioned above, the Dodgers did not win their division last season. Even though the team put together 106 wins, it only netted them a wildcard berth. In true Dodgers fashion, they rolled over the St Louis Cardinals and advanced all the way to the National League Championship Series, where they were upset by the Atlanta Braves – who would, of course, go on to win the World Series against the Houston Astros.

There isn’t one hole in the Dodgers roster, they have an insanely deep team from the major league level down. If perennial all-star players like Mookie Betts, Trea Turner or Cody Belinger go down, they have the talent in the minor leagues to make up for it. The Dodgers have also been heavily linked to Freddie Freeman who would make a lineup with very few holes look even more solid.

If there is one complaint about the 2022 Dodgers team, it is the starting pitching. Walker Buhler and Julio Urias are spectacular and are a very solid 1-2 punch for the team. However, from there on out there are a couple of question marks. Tony Gonsolin and Andrew Heany are just fine to follow behind them. Trevor Bauer is a huge uncertainty for not only the Dodgers but the entire league. Bauer has proven to be a great pitcher as he won the Cy Young Award just two seasons ago. Unfortunately, due to some off the field issues, Bauer hasn’t been able to make a big impression in Dodger blue after signing a huge deal coming off of his Cy Young season.

Clayton Kershaw is still out there in free agency, and will surely make the Dodgers starting rotation deeper but he is not nearly the player he was a couple of years ago when he won the NL MVP.

The Dodgers are a scary team for so many different reasons, but they have only found their way to one World Series win in a shortened 2020 season. They find themselves in one of the top divisions in the league, and while they should be favored, it isn’t necessarily the safest option to bet on them to win the division at -150. There are much better bets on the board.

San Diego Padres

The Fernando Tatis-led Padres are one of the top teams in the MLB, on paper. They were also this a year ago at this time but only found a way to reach 79 wins despite having some of the league’s top talent.

The Padres parted ways with Jayce Tingler in favor of a proven winner in Bob Melvin. Melvin, who left the Oakland Athletics to take this job, should be a massive upgrade over Tingler but has never managed a team with players like Tatis and Manny Machado. The experience of Melvin coaching an A’s team on a budget to the playoffs multiple times far outweighs the question of whether or not he can handle new expectations.

The Padres certainly have the talent to make a run at the Dodgers for the NL West crown and it should be very fun to watch the two team’s go head to head this season. The team’s starting rotation was their Achilles heel a season ago but has come back strong. Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Joe Musgrove, Mike Clevinger, and Chris Paddack bring a perfect blend of experience and youth. There are Cy Youngs, no-hitters, and top prospect rankings all mixed into this Padres starting core, and if they remain healthy, it will likely be the strength of this team despite the fire power on offense.

The Padres at +200 are still a bit of an unknown but would be our pick to win the NL West.

San Fransisco Giants

The Giants shocked the world last season when they came out of nowhere to win the NL West with 107 wins. Game by game it felt like the Giants would fall apart at any minute but they did not. This performance netted Gabe Kapler who was fired from Philadelphia just two years ago the manager of the year honors.

While the name’s on the Giants like Mike Yastrzemski, Darin Ruff, and Wilmer Flores aren’t as sexy as the other names in the division, they have held their own against the league’s toughest talent. It seemed like every move that Kapler initiated last year went in favor of the Giants, to the point where they found themselves buyers at the trade deadline. They acquired former MVP, Kris Bryant, from the Chicago Cubs in hopes of making a real run at a World Series title. Unfortunately, they were bested by their division foe in the Division Series but nonetheless, it was a surprising season by San Fransisco. Despite beating the Dodgers for the division and the Padres unknowns, the Giants find themselves as huge underdogs to win the division entering 2022. The books are not banking on the Giants striking lightning in a bottle twice and those odds are reflected at +600. If you’re looking for a long shot with long shot odds, the Giants are your team.

Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks

It just makes sense to group the Rockies and Diamondbacks together as they both have virtually no shot at making a run in this crowded NL West. It looks like it might be a long year in both Colorado and Arizona. Even though they both have some talent, both of these teams should be looking two or three years down the road and building their farm this year. It would make sense for players like German Marquez, Charlie Blackmon, Ryan McMahon, Ketel Marte, Zac Galen, Nick Ahmed, and David Peralta to be involved in trades come time for the trade deadline.