We’ve reached the midway mark of the 2019 MLB season and the LA Dodgers (56-27) are the best team in baseball, which is no surprise that bookmakers also see them as the big favorite at 3/1 odds to win the World Series this year. Meanwhile, the banged-up Yankees (52-28) recently passed the slumping Houston Astros (50-32) for the best record in the American League, but both squads are also at the top of the board among favorites to win the championship in October.
Along with boasting the best record and one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, the Dodgers also have a chip on their shoulder after being the World Series runner up the last two seasons. After losing to the Houston Astros in 2017 and the Boston Red Sox in 2018, the Dodgers are on a mission to win the championship.
2019 WORLD SERIES ODDS:
LA Dodgers +275
Houston Astros +375
NY Yankees +400
Atlanta Braves +800
Minnesota Twins +800
Chicago Cubs +1800
Tampa Rays +1800
Boston Red Sox +2000
Philadelphia Phillies +2000
Milwaukee Brewers +2100
The Dodgers are the consensus favorite to win the World Series. According to William Hill, the Dodgers are +275 to win the title.
A lot of the smart money has been on the Houston Astros at +375, however, the Stros suffered their first bad losing streak in a couple of years with a seven-game skid.
All of those annoying Yankee fans have been pounding their hometown heroes, which is why the Yanks are near the top of the board at +400 or 4/1 odds.
The Boston Red Sox are the defending champions. William Hill lists the Sox at 20/1 odds to win back-to-back titles, which is something that has not been done in this century.
Dodgers Running Away
The LA Dodgers got off to a hit start and never looked back. With Cody Bellinger finding his groove with his swing and Hyun-Jin Ryu looking like the Cy Young candidate.
The Dodgers were the first team to notch 50 wins. With 56 victories, their closest competitor is the Atlanta Braves with 48 wins. Aside from the Braves, the closest other competitor in the NL has 43 wins. That means the Dodgers hold a 13-game lead over the best of the best in the NL.
Out in the NL West, the Dodgers hold a 13-game lead over the Colorado Rockies (42-39).
The NL Central is the most competitive division in baseball. Although the Cincinnati Reds are in last place, they’re only 6.5 games out of first place. El Mago and the Chicago Cubs (44-37) are fighting HR king Christian Yelich and the Milwaukee Brewers (43-38) for supremacy in Midwest.
In the NL East, the Braves (48-34) hold the inside track to first place. Bryce Harper and the Phillies (43-38) didn’t get off to a torrid start like everyone hoped, but you can’t count them out with half a season remaining.
Yanks Big Dogs
The Replacement Yankees (52-28) finally got reinforcements with Aaron Judge and Didi Gregorius back in the lineup. They had a setback when Giancarlo Stanton returned to the IL for at least a month. But the Yanks are in the middle of a 11-1 hot streak. They will play couple of games against the Red Sox in London, England.
The Yanks secured the best record in the AL when they nearly swept the Astros (50-32) in a four-game series in the Bronx. The Astros ended a seven-game losing streak to avoid the embarrassment of the sweep, but they’re struggling without George Spring and Carlos Correa out with injuries.
The Minnesota Twins (52-28) continue to be the Rodney Dangerfield of the MLB. The Twins can’t get any respect despite having 52 wins. According to William Hill, the Twins are 8/1 odds to win the title.
