According to William Hill, the Houston Astros are 2/1 favorites to win the 2019 World Series, the LA Dodgers are 3/2 odds, and the New York Yankees are 4/1 odds to win the championship.
The popular NY Yankees (97-51) are always World Series favorites among their faithful fans. With 14 games remaining, the Bronx Bombers currently have the best record in the big leagues. The Houston Astros (95-52) have been World Series front runners for most of the season, especially after they acquired pitcher Zack Greinke in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Astros and the Yankees are fighting for home field advantage in the playoffs. The Astros have been unbeatable in Houston this season, so the Yanks want the ‘Stros on their home turf in the Bronx.
WORLD SERIES ODDS (9.13.19)
Houston Astros 2/1
LA Dodgers 3/2
NY Yankees 4/1
Atlanta Braves 7/1
St. Louis Cardinals 13/1
Minnesota Twins 17/1
Washington Nationals 17/1
Chicago Cubs 20/1
The Minnesota Twins haven’t gotten any respect out of the AL Central. The Twins have been mashing all season, and on pace to set a new MLB record for home runs.
The Atlanta Braves have been flying under the radar all season. The AL East leading Braves improved to 7/1 odds overall.
Lucky 7 in Dodgerland
The LA Dodgers (95-53) are the best team in the National League, yet sandwiched in between the big dogs in the AL. As the highest NL team on the board, the Dodgers are 3/2 odds to win the World Series.
Led by MVP-worthy Cody Bellinger, the Dodgers jumped out to a big lead and essentially locked up the NL West by the All-Star Game. Earlier this week, the Dodgers became first team to clinch a playoff spot.
The Dodgers won their seventh NL West title in a row, and they’re seeking a third consecutive trip to the World Series. After two near misses and losses to the Astros and Red Sox in the previous two Octobers, manager Dave Roberts’ Dodgers are on a mission to win a championship.
The suits would love to see the top two media markets slug it out in the World Series. You know the MLB and their media partners are secretly rooting for a Yankees and Dodgers World Series.
Houston, There’s No Problem
The Astros are the consensus favorites to win the World Series because they boast the best starting rotation in baseball. Justin Verlander (18-5) is en route to another Cy Young award with a 2.52 ERA and smoking 0.77 WHIP.
Gerrit Cole (16-5) and Wade Miley (13-5) have also been lights out. Verlander, Miley, and Cole lost 15 combined games this season. That’s an insane stat, but its indicative of the Astros’ strength.
In seven starts since joining the Astros in a trade from Arizona, Zack Greinke is 5-1 with a 3.32 ERA.
The Astros defeated the Dodgers to win the 2017 World Series. After a subpar 2018, the Astros are back on top of their game. The betting public anticipates another rematch between the Dodgers and Astros.
Bronx ER… Open Again
The banged up New York Yankees are still World Series favorites. The Yanks were plagued with injuries in the first half of the season. With a next-man up philosophy, the Replacement Yankees, such as Domingo German and Luis Severino, stepped up and filled in without blinking.
A couple of big dogs, like Giancarlo Stanton, are still on the IL. However, the Yankees are getting back their ace Severino, who missed the entire season with multiple injuries. Sevy has two weeks to test out his arm. The Yankees can gauge whether or not they’ll have an extra arm in the pen when the postseason rolls around.
Masahiro Tanaka, JA Happ, and James Paxton strung together some of their most consistent starts of the season. Tanaka rediscovered his splitter by tweaking with a new grip. Happ is pitching quicker, but with oodles of more confidence. Paxton starting throwing more curveballs, and all of a sudden, hitters are struggling with his fastball.
The Bronx Bombers are looking good even without Stanton. The Replacement Yanks set a new franchise record for home runs in a season, eclipsing last year’s squad. Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres are fighting each other for the team lead in home runs. Aaron Judge is in the middle of his best hitting streak of the season, but can #99 finally lead the Yankees to the World Series?
The Yanks can’t fade the injury bug with two weeks remaining. In a doubleheader against the Tigers, the Yanks lost Happ, Sanchez, and Edwin Encarnacion. Happ tweaked his bicep, Sanchez has a minor groin pull, and Encarnacion injured his Oblique.
Yelich and Brew Crew Dunzo?
The Milwaukee Brewers dropped to 40/1 odds after Christian Yelich fractured his knee cap. Without Yelich, the Brew Crew is still in the thick of the NL Wild Card race.
The Washington Nationals (80-64) hold down the top Wild Card spot with a three-game cushion. With 15 games remaining, four other teams are fighting for the other Wild Card berth. The Cubs (78-68) and Brewers (78-68) are tied for the other Wild Card spot. The NY Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are two games behind them.
The Cubbies are no longer big World Series favorites, but you can get them at 20/1 odds.
Meanwhile, three second-place teams are within a half-game of each other in the AL Wild Card Race. Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Indians, and Oakland A’s are jockeying for the final two berths.
