The Arizona Diamondbacks have won five straight games, and are now tied with the Atlanta Braves for the best record in the National League at 40-25.
They recently surpassed the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the N.L. League West and have since stretched their lead to 3½ games.
Arizona has the third-best run-differential in the National League at plus-40, along with top candidates for both the Cy Young award — Zac Gallen — and MVP — Corbin Carroll.
While they are riding high right now, the oddsmakers are still dubious about their ability to stave off the Dodgers to win the division.
Los Angeles is still a heavy favorite to claim the N.L. West despite currently sitting second in the standings. Arizona has the second-best odds, and they are much better than the 50/1 the D-Backs opened at before the season, but it would still be considered a sizable upset.
Odds to win the National League West as of June 12, per FanDuel:
- Dodgers -370
- Diamondbacks +480
- Padres +1000
- Giants +2500
- Rockies +25000
The season still has nearly 100 games left, so it’s understandable why the Dodgers are expected to overtake Arizona.
Los Angeles has won the N.L. West in nine of the past 10 seasons and entered the season on the short-list of World Series favorites. While the Dodgers only have a record of 37-29 on the year, their run-differential of plus-62 portends more success the rest of the way.
The Dodgers have scored the most runs in the National League and have stars like Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts anchoring the lineup. But the rotation has been shaky and hit hard by injuries.
The Diamondbacks’ offense has been nearly as good and should have staying power with Carroll, Ketel Marte, Lourdes Gurriel, Christian Walker and Geraldo Perdomo all contributing at a high level.
Gallen and Merrill Kelly have been solid at the top of the rotation, and Arizona will likely add an arm at the trading deadline. The Diamondbacks have a farm system flush with talent, so they could choose to be aggressive in order to make a playoff push.
The D-Backs opened the season as +450 underdogs to make the postseason but that has improved greatly to -235 at FanDuel to punch their ticket.
So while the sportsbooks see a division title as an uphill battle, there is belief that Arizona will make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
The Diamondbacks are a healthy seven games ahead of the nearest contender for the third wild card spot, and it feels like the -235 odds are still a solid value for a team that does not seem to be slowing down.
Teams like the Phillies and Padres are on the outside looking in at the playoffs, and they both have the personnel to go on a run, but the Diamondbacks are ahead of them by eight and nine games, respectively in the standings.
It’s been a wonderful start to the season for Arizona. The oddsmakers still question its staying power atop the N.L. West, but for those who believe, it’s a good time to take advantage of the odds as the Dodgers are still the presumptive favorite to claim the division.
