Best bets for MLB division winners

There have only been three changes in division winners over the previous two years combined. Will the 2019 MLB season shake things up a bit more?

Here are the six teams we think will represent their respective divisions by season's end.

AL Central - Minnesota Twins (+350)

This pick might have more to do with disliking the Cleveland Indians at -225. That's not to say Cleveland isn't good; the rotation is stacked and Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez are two of the league's brightest position players. Even in what should yet again be a pretty awful division - three teams that won 64 games or fewer last year are expected to finish below .500 - you don't just luck your way into a 90.5 win total. But some holes in the lineup are keeping us from buying into Cleveland as a true contender in the AL.

As is the case almost every year, the Twins will need to slug their way to a division crown. They can do it, too - Minnesota's lineup should be able to compensate for its pedestrian starting pitching. Fangraphs projects six Twins players will hit at least 20 home runs this year.

AL East - New York Yankees (+115)

We're buying some Yankees stock after they finished eight games back of the Boston Red Sox for the AL East title. Not many teams can churn out 100 wins with a star catcher hitting .186 and the reigning home-run champion going through as many slumps as Giancarlo Stanton did. After making some moves over the winter, the Yankees have few holes, if any.

AL West - Houston Astros (-300)

We're not going to overthink laying the -300 on the Astros to take the AL West again. Few divisions feature a clear-cut front-runner that warrants paying a price like this, but this one's automatic.

NL Central - Milwaukee Brewers (+300)

All five teams are projected for more than 77 wins in the NL Central, making it the only division in which no finishing order would be all that surprising. A year after the Brewers took the division by one game, there's no shame in choosing a different flavor this time around. The Chicago Cubs (+220) and St. Louis Cardinals (+225) have enough ammo for about 90 wins, but we're not passing up this number on a team we believe isn't far behind those two.

NL East - New York Mets (+350)

Winning 77 games in a season where the Mets gave regular at-bats to Jose Bautista, Jose Reyes, Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Plawecki, and Austin Jackson is a feat that should be memorialized in Cooperstown. New general manager Brodie Van Wagenen immediately made an effort to revamp the roster, and the Mets do look more complete. They've got enough pieces to turn the tide and come out of the division, especially if Bryce Harper's not part of it.

NL West - Los Angeles Dodgers (-200)

Like the Astros, the Dodgers are an elite club that will pile up wins based on their schedule. The NL West features only one other team - the Colorado Rockies - projected to finish over .500, and we're not high on them this season. There aren't many prices we'd pass up to take the Dodgers in what should be a landslide.

Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.