Favorites to Win World Series This Season
The Los Angeles Dodgers (+370) and New York Yankees (+680) are the top two projected teams in baseball heading into the season. These teams have some of the biggest bankrolls in baseball, and we expect them to be big spenders this offseason.
Los Angeles structured Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, where most of the money was deferred, allowing the Dodgers to add countless stars. The Yankees are known to be big spenders and must add a couple of pieces to improve on their second-place finish in 2024.
Los Angeles Dodgers (+370) on FanDuel Sportsbook
The Dodgers won the World Series in 2024 and were favorites all season. Los Angeles will be favored again all season, and nothing will change this, especially after winning last season with limited pitching.
The Dodgers had one of the most ruthless lineups in baseball, and we saw this clearly in the playoffs. Freddie Freeman, the World Series MVP, was dominant throughout October. He had multiple home runs in the World Series, including a walk-off grand slam.
Freeman was joined by Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez, Will Smith, and many more big bats. It’s hard to name all of Los Angeles’ dominant hitters because they have so many on the roster.
While the Dodgers had an elite offense, they had no pitching in the World Series and for a significant portion of the season. Their ace, Tyler Glasnow, should be ready for next season after an injury to his throwing elbow.
He recently had his elbow scanned, revealing that it had fully healed. If Glasnow is back in the rotation, the Dodgers will be hard to beat in a seven-game series.
Los Angeles quickly added Blake Snell in free agency to improve their pitching staff. Snell threw a no-hitter for the Padres last season, and he will replace Walker Buehler, who is expected to sign with the Yankees in free agency.
Los Angeles should be favored and now is the best time to place a bet on the team. If they suffer injuries, they have enough talent to fill the void and are fearless in spending money to fill holes.
New York Yankees (+680) on FanDuel Sportsbook
The New York Yankees lost the World Series because the Los Angeles Dodgers outmatched them in nearly every phase of the game. The Dodgers dominated the Yankees when they had Juan Soto playing at a high level, so New York must find a way to retain the outfielder.
Soto is expected to request a contract worth $700 million. Most of his offers are in the $600 million range, but few know if the Yankees are first on Soto’s list.
If New York loses, they should sign another big bat, but few players can replicate Soto’s production. He was the team’s best hitter in the postseason and has been one of the top players in baseball since he entered the league for Washington.
Soto batted .288 with 41 home runs, 109 RBI, and a .989 OPS. He was fourth in home runs and third in OPS.
Soto and Aaron Judge have been a deadly combination. Soto’s presence forced teams to pitch to Judge, elevating his stats and helping him win his second MLB MVP award in 2024.
Judge was horrendous when it mattered most in the World Series, but it doesn’t take away from the numbers he posted in the regular season.
The Yankees' most significant threat to the World Series could be the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox are improving, and if Boston is good, the division will be much more challenging to win. In the past few seasons, the AL East has come down to Baltimore and New York, but if Boston is in the mix, this could easily be one of the toughest divisions in the league.
The easiest path to the playoffs comes by winning the division, so New York needs to keep improving.
Atlanta Braves (+850) on FanDuel Sportsbook
The Atlanta Braves' 2024 season ended disappointingly. They entered the playoffs as the fifth-ranked team and were swept by the Padres in the Wild Card.
The Padres were one of the best teams in baseball last season and were World Series favorites at one point in the playoffs. Their run ended against the Dodgers, but there was no shame in losing to San Diego for Atlanta.
The Braves aren’t better than the Dodgers in the National League, but they have a deep roster with plenty of cornerstone pieces. They made a mistake letting Freddie Freeman depart for Los Angeles a few years ago, but they filled the void with young stars.
Injuries cost them massively in 2024, but if they can stay healthy, Atlanta can compete with any team in baseball. The team has a loaded pitching staff behind Spencer Strider, Max Fried, and Chris Sale, who won the National League Cy Young.
It will be hard for Sale to repeat his success from last season, but his career has been revitalized in Atlanta. He doesn’t have to win the Cy Young Award for the Braves to succeed, but he must keep pitching at a high level as the staff's ace.
Offensively, the Braves have solid offensive options all over the field. Ronald Acuna Jr.’s health will significantly affect how the Braves compete next season.
He suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2024 but isn’t expected to be ready for Opening Day. Acuna is one of the best players in baseball, so I look forward to him making an immediate impact when he returns.
This team will be as good as Acuna plays next season. He is the star, and the rest of the players fill in the gaps.
My Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers (+370) on FanDuel Sportsbook
The Dodgers are signing all of the best players in baseball, and they’re deferring their money. This opens up the payroll to bring in more star players.
This isn’t cheating, but it’s a way for the big clubs to continue strangling the league. The Dodgers did this with Ohtani and Snell, and we anticipate they will continue this strategy in the future.
Who Won the World Series in 2024?
The Los Angeles Dodgers were expected to win the World Series in 2024, and they delivered. They were an excellent regular-season team, leading baseball in wins. They won the NL West and didn’t struggle in the playoffs besides in the NLDS against the Padres.
Los Angeles beat the Padres and Mets to reach the World Series. They beat the Yankees in five games in the World Series.
World Series Winner History
The Boston Americans won the first World Series in 1903 over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Americans later became known as the Red Sox.
The World Series has changed significantly over the years, but the modern format was established in 1967. It features the winner of the American and National Leagues in a seven-game series.
The Yankees have won the most World Series, with 27. The Cardinals are second with 11, and the Red Sox and Athletics are tied for third with nine.
| Past World Series Champions | Year |
|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 2024 |
| Texas Rangers | 2023 |
| Houston Astros | 2022 |
| Atlanta Braves | 2021 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 2020 |
| Washington Nationals | 2019 |
| Boston Red Sox | 2018 |
| Houston Astros | 2017 |
| Chicago Cubs | 2016 |
| Kansas City Royals | 2015 |
| San Francisco Giants | 2014 |
| Boston Red Sox | 2013 |
| San Francisco Giants | 2012 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 2011 |
| San Francisco Giants | 2010 |
| New York Yankees | 2009 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 2008 |
How to Choose the Best Sportsbook for Betting on the World Series
Line shopping is critical for betting on the World Series market. You can receive superior odds on different platforms if you have multiple sportsbooks in your state or wherever you’re located.
We have featured FanDuel throughout the article, but there are multiple online sportsbooks we partner with at WSN. A few of our favorites are BetMGM, Caesars, and FanDuel.
*Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l terms.
How to Read World Series Odds
Understanding the American odds is needed for betting on the World Series market.
If the odds show a minus (–), then that amount of money must be wagered to win $100. (e.g., 150 means you must bet $150 to win $100).
If the odds show a plus (+), you will earn that money on a successful $100 bet. (e.g. +150 means you make $150 on a $100 wager).
If you bet $100 on the Dodgers to win the World Series on FanDuel Sportsbook (+320), you would win $320 if they were successful.
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