Baseball is in the air as Spring training is beginning to ramp up around the big leagues. By the end of February, all 30 clubs will be soaking up the sunshine, preparing for the impending season which is a good time to be checking MLB odds online.
The Colorado Rockies will look to bounce back in 2020 after winning just 71 games last season, which was only one game better than the last-place San Diego Padres.
After making the postseason in the 2017 and 2018 seasons, the Rockies collapsed in 2019. The club is looking to get back to baseball’s big dance in 2020, although that will not be a walk in the park considering how the NL West is shaping up.
Let’s take a look around the division and see how Las Vegas believes things will play out.
Arizona Diamondbacks:
Vegas win total: 84.5
The Diamondbacks win total has been set at 84.5 for the 2020 season. Arizona won 85 games last season en route to a second-place finish in the NL West. The Diamondbacks managed to field a competitive team in 2019 despite trading away star Paul Goldschmidt and should play well in 2020 given that their core is still intact.
Arizona made headlines this offseason when they signed veteran starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner, which is sure to give their team a boost. Expect Arizona to finish with around the same amount of wins as last season.
Colorado Rockies
Vegas win total: 74.5
The Rockies experienced a fall from grace in 2019, winning just 71 games and finishing just one game out of last place in the division. A slew of injuries and a lack of proper talent doomed Colorado in 2019, and now questions are swirling about if the team can bounce back in 2020.
Colorado is the lone major league club to have not spent a single dime on improving their big league roster this offseason, which is has cast some doubt over the 2020 season. The Rockies’ most prominent issue is their pitching staff. German Marquez is their only reliable starter, and if Jon Gray and Kyle Freeland struggle in 2020, it will be challenging for the team to be successful.
The Rockies were dealt a bad hand last season, but the team has numerous flaws that leave their 2020 outlook hazy.
Los Angeles Dodgers:
Vegas win total: 99.5
The Dodgers have won seven consecutive NL West titles and should have no problem extending it to eight in 2020.
The Dodgers have been the best team in the division for nearly a decade and show no intention of relinquishing their grip. Los Angeles traded for superstar Mookie Betts this offseason, which solidifies their outfield as one of the best in the sport alongside NL MVP Cody Bellinger.
The Dodgers organization is sound from top to bottom, and the team is the early frontrunner to represent the National League in the World Series.
San Diego Padres:
Vegas win total: 83.5
San Diego finished in last place with just 70 wins last year. Despite the down season, San Diego is expected to take a leap in 2020. The Padres are one of the youngest teams in the sport and boast one of the deepest farm systems.
With a nucleus that includes phenom Fenrando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer, the Padres are seeking to lift themselves from the gutters of the NL West in 2020.
The Rockies and Giants are both expected to struggle in 2020, so the Padres will have some opportunities to make up ground in the standings. That said, Vegas has the Padres win total set at 83.5, which seems like a stretch for a team that won the third-fewest games in the National League last season.
San Francisco Giants:
Vegas win total: 70.5
The once-mighty Giants have struggled the last few seasons, and are expected to do so once again in 2020.
Gabe Kepler will take over managerial duties from long time skipper Bruce Bochy, and inherits a team that is far from perfect. The Giants managed to win 77 games last season but did not make any significant attempt to improve their club in the offseason.
With a new skipper and front office, the Giants are at the beginning of a rebuild and will struggle mightily in 2020.