A pair long-shot clubs, the Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles, managed to reverse sub-.500 records from 2011 to make it to the postseason in 2012. The Athletics overcame a 13-game deficit to topple the Rangers for the AL West crown, while the Orioles fell two games shy of the AL East champion Yankees. To even make the division series, the O's will have to battle the Rangers in a one-game playoff.
Vegas gives the Rangers significantly better odds of moving on all the way to the World Series, with a +820 rating versus the Orioles' +1950 mark, the lowest of all playoff teams. The victor of the O's-Rangers matchup will square off with the Yankees, who earned Vegas' best odds at +475 for winning the whole thing. The odds for the play-in game favor Texas (-200) to Baltimore's +185.
Meanwhile, the A's are slated to take on the Tigers, who managed to topple the White Sox to claim the AL Central crown. Vegas likes Detroit's World Series chances better, +580 to Oakland's +840.
In the National League, the Braves and Cardinals are set to duke it out for the wild-card play-in. The Braves, who clinched a playoff spot on Sept. 26, are favored in the elimination game, -160 to St. Louis' +150.
Atlanta also has better World Series odds, as Vegas gives the Braves a +1250 rating to the Cardinals' +1750, the second-lowest odds at winning it all. The winner of this game will face the Nationals, who earned the best odds in the NL with a +510.
The Giants and the Reds are the other two teams set to dance, and Cincinnati gets better World Series odds, with a +585 to San Francisco's +725.