MLB Playoff Picture 2019: Bracket, Odds, Wild-Card Standings Entering Last Week

Nine teams remain in the hunt for the two wild-card spots in the American and National Leagues, but in reality, there are five teams chasing four playoff berths. 

Oakland has a two-game advantage over Tampa Bay and Cleveland, who enter the final week of the regular season locked at 92-64. 

Due to the Chicago Cubs' collapse over the last week, Washington and Milwaukee appear to be in the clear in the NL. 

If the Brewers find a way to make up three games on St. Louis in the NL Central, the order of the wild-card positions might shift. The Cardinals are four up in the win column on Washington and three above Milwaukee. 

Houston, Atlanta, the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees have all clinched their respective divisions, and Minnesota is close to doing so with a four-game edge on Cleveland in the AL Central. 

Bracket

Playoff bracket as of Monday.

American League

(1) Houston vs. (4) Oakland or (5) Tampa Bay or Cleveland

(2) New York Yankees vs. (3) Minnesota

National League

(1) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (4) Washington or (5) Milwaukee

(2) Atlanta vs. (3) St. Louis

World Series Odds

Odds via Caesars

Los Angeles Dodgers (+225) 

Houston (+250) 

New York Yankees (+400) 

Atlanta (+900) 

Minnesota (+1,400)

St. Louis (+1,400) 

Oakland (+1,800) 

Washington (+2,000) 

Milwaukee (+2,500) 

Tampa Bay (+3,500) 

Cleveland (+4,000) 

Wild-Card Standings

American League

1. Oakland (94-62) 

2. Tampa Bay (92-64) 

3. Cleveland (92-64) 

Tampa Bay has an opportunity to nudge ahead in the race for the second wild-card spot when it plays host to Boston Monday. 

The Rays won the first two games of their series with the Red Sox but suffered their third loss of the week Sunday. That result allowed the Indians to pull back on level terms.

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

After the completion of the four-game set with Boston, the Rays host the Yankees for two games and then visit Toronto for three. 

Tampa Bay is 40-30 against the AL East, and it is in possession of two more away wins than at home. 

Rays manager Kevin Cash hopes his team can elevate its level, similar to what the Joe Maddon-coached teams did in Tampa, per Martin Fennelly of the Tampa Bay Times:

"I want these guys to embrace it too. Joe set the tone, especially with those banners up there. He definitely thought it was best to embrace it. There are differences, but the bottom line is you don’t get this opportunity every year. It just doesn’t happen. That was the thing we talked about as a group six weeks ago, let’s embrace this." 

Although the Yankees secured the AL East title, they are still competing with Houston for home-field advantage, so that adds to the Rays' level of difficulty in the final week. 

Cleveland reeled off six wins in seven games to finish off its home slate. Trips to face the Chicago White Sox and Washington await the Indians Tuesday through Sunday. 

The series between the Indians and Nationals could have implications in both wild-card races depending on how the early-week results fall. 

Even if the Rays gain ground Monday, the Indians can pull it back Thursday as the AL East side is traveling to Toronto. 

Cleveland is still alive in the AL Central, but a four-game deficit may be too much to make up in one week, especially with Minnesota facing Detroit and Kansas City. 

Oakland could stay above the Rays and Indians with victories over the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle. The Athletics are 41-29 versus divisional foes and 42-33 on the road. 

If the A's maintain their advantage, they could have a wild-card berth secured by Friday night. 

National League

1. Washington (85-69) 

2. Milwaukee (86-70) 

3. Chicago Cubs (82-74) 

4. New York Mets (81-74) 

5. Arizona (80-76) 

6. Philadelphia (79-75) 

The Chicago Cubs' six-game losing streak has made life much more comfortable for Washington and Milwaukee. 

Barring a collapse over the next seven days, the Nationals and Brewers will meet in the NL wild-card game. 

The Cubs, New York Mets, Arizona and Philadelphia could be eliminated from contention early in the week.

Patrick Corbin and Max Scherzer could officially knock out the Phillies in the next two days. If Washington secures a postseason berth before the weekend, it will be worth watching how the pair of starters are managed with the wild-card game in mind. 

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

The only chance for Philadelphia to leap back into contention is to sweep the five-game set with Washington that includes a Tuesday doubleheader. If not, Bryce Harper will miss out on the playoffs in his first season with the franchise. 

Milwaukee is 15-3 over its last 18 games, a remarkable spell that has occurred with Christian Yelich out for the season. 

The Brewers' recent opponents can tell something special is going on with the ballclub, as Pittsburgh pitcher Trevor Williams noted to MLB.com's Russell Dorsey:

"They're playing for something. They're playing for not only a wild-card spot, but they're trying to win the division as well. You can tell in the way that they're coming out in their ABs, the pitches that they're taking. You can tell in their pitchers out of the bullpen, they're pitching like their life's on the line—and it is, to a certain extent, for a spot in October for them."

Craig Counsell's team hits the road to face Cincinnati and Colorado starting Tuesday. There is an outside chance it could win the NL Central, but it needs help from Arizona. 

The Cardinals visit the Diamondbacks for three games before a weekend set with the Cubs. By that point, the Cubs could have nothing to play for. 

Arizona and the Mets could make a final surge at the wild-card spots, but they need help from the Phillies to reel in the Nationals in order to pose a threat over the weekend. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from MLB.com.