Winning the World Series doesn’t guarantee that you’ll repeat the feat the next year. But when you’re a perennial favorite like the Los Angeles Dodgers, expectations are high, even before you add a championship to the mix.
The Dodgers have opened as the consensus favorites to win the 2021 World Series at sportsbooks worldwide, in some cases far ahead of their nearest competition.
Oddsmakers Predict Another Big Year for LA
PointsBet posted Los Angeles as a +375 pick to win a second consecutive title. They’ve left a significant gap between the Dodgers and the field, with the New York Yankees (+700) and the San Diego Padres (+750) listed as their closest competition.
The Dodgers also come out of the World Series victory as a +165 pick to win the National League, and an overwhelming -715 choice to win the NL West. Though MLB hasn’t determined the length of the 2021 season yet, PointsBet has pegged the over/under on the Dodgers’ win percentage at .639, equivalent to 103.5 wins in a full 162-game season.
| 2021 World Series Odds (Best Price in Bold) | |||
| PointsBet | DraftKings | FanDuel | |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +375 | +480 | +400 |
| New York Yankees | +700 | +525 | +550 |
| San Diego Padres | +750 | +1300 | +1300 |
| Minnesota Twins | +1000 | +1500 | +1600 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +1000 | +1200 | +1300 |
| Chicago White Sox | +1100 | +1500 | +1400 |
| Atlanta Braves | +1200 | +1000 | +950 |
| Oakland Athletics | +1400 | +1800 | +2100 |
While everyone sees Los Angeles as the favorite heading into 2021, some sportsbooks see a closer two-team race. At DraftKings, the Dodgers stand as a +480 World Series favorite, but the Yankees are close behind at +525. The Atlanta Braves are third, coming in at +1000.
The Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill opened the Dodgers at +400, with the Yankees at +650. It’s a similar story at FanDuel, where the Dodgers (+400) again lead the Yankees (+550) at the top of the board.
World Series Contenders and Pretenders
Bookmakers aren’t showing nearly as much love to the Tampa Bay Rays, who took the Dodgers to six games in the World Series. The Rays opened as a +1000 pick at PointsBet, with most other books offering even longer odds on the defending American League champions.
Other teams that expect to contend for a World Series title next year include the Minnesota Twins (+1000), the Chicago White Sox (+1100), the Oakland Athletics (+1400), the Cleveland Indians (+1700), and the Houston Astros (+1700).
Then, there are the teams who enter 2021 with essentially no chance to contend. The Pittsburgh Pirates come in at the bottom of the barrel, fetching +35000 odds at PointsBet. The Pirates put together a putrid 19-41 record in 2020, and haven’t made the playoffs since 2015.
The Seattle Mariners (+25000), Detroit Tigers (+25000), and Miami Marlins (+20000) are all also facing long odds heading into 2021. All of these teams can find inspiration in the 2020 Marlins, however, who opened the year at around +30000 at most sportsbooks, then rallied to go 31-29 and reach the NLDS before being swept in three games by the Braves.
