The Los Angeles Dodgers are the odds-on favorites to win the 2021 World Series, and the defending champions have gotten off to a white-hot 10-2 start. The team with the second-best odds, the New York Yankees, is tied for last in the American League East, sputtering out to a 5-7 start, already four games behind Boston. It’s still early days yet, though, in the 162-game marathon known as the Major League Baseball regular season.
Let’s take a look at each team’s MLB betting odds to win the World Series as well as a closer look at some of the contenders and dark horses.
MLB News: Updated World Series Odds
| Team | Odds |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +350 |
| New York Yankees | +550 |
| San Diego Padres | +900 |
| Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets | +1000 |
| Minnesota Twins | +1800 |
| Houston Astros | +2000 |
| Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals | +2200 |
| Los Angeles Angels, Tampa Bay Rays | +2500 |
| Washington Nationals | +3000 |
| Cincinnati Reds, Oakland A’s, Philadelphia Phillies | +3500 |
| Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians | +4000 |
| Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers | +5000 |
| Miami Marlins, San Francisco Giants | +8000 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners | +10000 |
| Texas Rangers | +15000 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +20000 |
The Dodgers have gotten a terrific start out of Trevor Bauer; in his first 20 innings, he has posted a 2.70 ERA along with 29 strikeouts against just five walks. The Dodgers didn’t have Cody Bellinger or Mookie Betts in the lineup against Washington over the weekend, but they still swept the Nationals, showing their extreme depth.
The Padres have the lowest ERA in MLB — and they have 10 pitchers on the injured list at this writing. Fernando Tatis Jr had to undergo a shoulder subluxation, but Jake Cronenworth has filled in at an elite level in his absence. Wil Myers and Eric Hosmer are batting a combined .341 in 96 plate appearances. So even with five early losses, the Padres are showing signs of contending.
The Yankees have some early questions in their starting rotation. Jameson Taillon, returning from a second Tommy John procedure, went just 3 ⅔ innings in his second start, permitting five runs on eight hits. Corey Kluber, whom the team signed in what is definitely a gamble, only went 2 ⅓ innings in his second start, permitting five runs (three earned).
The Twins have scuffled a bit in their 5-7 start, but they have a 1-3 record in one-run games, which is a trend that, at least according to the law of averages, should move back in their favor. It hasn’t helped that free agent signee Alex Colome has blown two saves in four opportunities and has permitted seven runs (four earned) in 5 ⅓ innings of relief work so far. He is the lowest-ranking in MLB among relief pitchers in wins probability added, at -0.9.
Now, let’s look at some of the dark horses. The Angels are seeing the promise of Shohei Ohtani, as he blasted a home run in the first inning of a game in which he also started pitching; he has a blister keeping him out of the rotation now, but he is hitting .364 with four home runs and two triples through 11 games. If you can get elite hitting and a quality start every five days out of a player, that is an investment for the ages.
The Red Sox got swept to start the season, but since then they have won nine in a row, thanks in part to the hot bat of J.D. Martinez. The question that Boston has to answer is the durability of their starting rotation. The play of Garrett Richards, who got lit up in his first start but permitted just a pair of runs over five innings in a win over the Orioles, is an example of players who will have to up their game for the Sox to contend.
MLB Betting Odds
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