Marketplace Starting to Stabilize
Dodgers Back in Winning Groove
The hiccups and potholes that tripped up the Dodgers for a few weeks seem to have passed. They are back to playing great baseball and are scoring far more runs than their opposition.
That was the case for much of the season. World Series baseball betting odds at BetUS have them at +175. Still, if you are interested, this could be a good number to grab. Remember, before the slump, LA was as low as +150.
Winning for the third straight year won’t be easy. This is a team that was this close to not downing the Blue Jays last year in the World Series but found a way. Speaking of Toronto, it remains under .500 and in baseball World Series odds are +4000.
As bad as the Jays have been, they are still somehow in the AL wild-card mix. They would have to climb over three teams but if Toronto can play its best baseball over the last five or six weeks it could sneak into the postseason. Don’t bank on it but remember in late August if you can get +4000 on a team that almost won the World Series last year anything can happen.
American League Pictures Ripe for Opportunity
In addition to the Jays, there are other teams that have dreams and factor into MLB odds to win World Series. It is becoming a redundant drumbeat about the Yankees’ flaws. Max Fried was injured, again, and Giancarlo Stanton was not able to make it back, injuring his other calf while simply running.
If he can’t play, it is a huge power hole in the Yankee lineup. They are +850 in MLB futures, rising, and that feels like a number only because some team has to make the World Series from the AL. This team has plenty of dings and dents and that equals vulnerability. Add starting pitcher Ryan Weathers as another lost to injury
Switching to other AL East contenders in MLB futures bets, the Rays are +1100. The Red Sox are +1400. Tampa Bay is still holding off the Yankees although the AL East race is tighter. The Red Sox are a good distance behind first and the Yankees have some wiggle room over Boston. The picture here is that these are likely the best two teams in the AL (other than New York). If either can get to the World Series, they could hassle any National League opponents.
It would be stunning if the White Sox won it all. They are +2500, which tells you the time is long gone from when they were a good play in MLB future bets. If someone had the foresight – or guesswork – to play Chicago early, they have to be thrilled. Remember, though, much of their winning record comes at home and in the postseason teams have to win on the road. The AL West is the definition of mediocrity. If either the Astros or Rangers made it to the World Series, they would be huge underdogs because of the power of NL teams.
NL Postseason a Gauntlet Challenge
Future odds MLB outside the Dodgers offer interesting numbers. The Brewers are a wonderful team and have a clear lead over the Cubs. They recently took three of four from LA. Milwaukee is + 750. That feels like a far better risk than playing the Yankees at that number. The Cubs are +1300 but they are too inconsistent to have confidence to win it all.
When it comes to the other teams, the Braves are +1200 in MLB futures bets, with the Phillies at +1400, and San Diego at +3300. Arizona is +7000. If any team can upend LA, it would have to be considered the favorite to win it all. The question is what team will be able to get through the NL postseason to get to the World Series. Every playoff round in the NL figures to be a tug-of-war.
