2021 World Series Odds: Dodgers Still Favored in Final Leg of Season

As we embark on the final leg of the 2021 MLB season with teams making a push for a division title or Wild Card playoff spot, one team continues to be highly regarded by oddsmakers for World Series odds and that’s the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers sit as +300 betting favorites at most major sportsbooks – like BetMGM Sportsbook – to win the 2021 World Series and be the first team to win back-to-back titles since the New York Yankees accomplished this feat when they won three in a row from 1998 to 2000. Los Angeles is 75-46 SU in 121 games this season and have been wire-to-wire favorites since Opening Day despite trailing the San Francisco Giants in the NL West standings.

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The next team on the oddsboard for World Series odds is the always loveable Houston Astros at +475. The ‘Stros have picked up right where they left off despite losing SP Justin Verlander to Tommy John surgery and OF George Springer in the offseason and in the American League West division at 70-50 SU through 120 games.

The Chicago White Sox (+650), San Francisco Giants (+750) and Milwaukee Brewers (+850) make up the top five teams for odds to win the World Series. What do these three teams have in common? They each have the lead in their divisions with the Giants having the closest race in leading the Dodgers by three games in the standings while owning the best record in baseball.

Let’s break down the Dodgers’ chances of repeating to win the World Series and betting odds for one team rising like a phoenix and another falling like a rock in the ocean for betting value in this MLB futures market.

Who is the favorite to win the World Series? 

These are the current odds to win the 2021 World Series, from BetMGM.

Why are the Dodgers favored for World Series odds? 

After finally getting the monkey off their back and winning their first World Series since 1988, the Dodgers remain in the driver’s seat for another run in 2021. 

The Dodgers’ starting rotation has always been an envy of opponents, led by Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw. It’s like the Los Angeles ownership group got bored of printing money because they decided at the trade deadline to nab former Nationals ace, Max Scherzer, to solidify the starting group. With the uncertain future of Trevor Bauer, the Dodgers made another shrewd trade that likely wouldn’t even have been approved in MLB The Show.

While those three keep opposing batting orders in check, it’s the Dodgers bats that can’t seem to be kept off the scoreboard. The West Coast squad ranks in the top five in nearly all the top offensive categories like total runs, home runs and OPS. All this while stars/former MVPs Cody Bellinger struggles at the plate (.196 batting average) and Mookie Betts is dealing with a back injury (only played 87 of 121 games). For a normal MLB club, those two latter developments would cripple an offense but for the Dodgers, it’s just a regular Tuesday.

The Dodgers only trail the Giants by three games in the NL West division but will have their chance to make up some ground in September when they have a three-game series in San Francisco Sept. 4-6. If they can take at least two of three games in the Bay, it exponentially increases their chances to win the NL West and you’ll see the World Series odds take another massive shift in favor of LA.

At +300 for World Series odds, it may not be the best value but at this point of the season, the only way you’re getting better odds is if they trail in a playoff series. If you think the Dodgers win it all, grab them now.

Risers and fallers for odds to win World Series

The two teams that seem to be going in opposite directions since the All-Star break for World Series odds are the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. Let’s take a look at their World Series odds on BetMGM and why they’re trending for the right or wrong reasons:

Rising: New York Yankees +1200 odds to win World Series

Coming into the 2021 season, the Yankees had the second-best odds in MLB to win the World Series at +600. Many baseball analysts believed their high-powered offense and somewhat rejuvenated starting pitching would carry them, but early-season struggles all but killed bettors hopes of the Bronx Bombers. Fast-forward to the All-Star break and the Yanks were staring at +2200 odds to win the World Series. Now, 32 games into the second half, New York has gone 23-9 and have reestablished itself as a contender in AL at +1200 for World Series odds.

The main thing that has changed for the Yankees was pitching performance as the pitchers have a collective 3.17 ERA since the All-Star break, which ranks third in MLB. This is a big change compared to how they performed in the first half when they had a 4.57 ERA and only one reliable starter in Gerrit Cole. 

The Bronx Bombers now own the first Wild Card spot in the American League and only trail the Tampa Bay Rays by five games in the AL East standings. The division crown may be a bit of a stretch but at these odds, the Yankees could be worth an investment for World Series odds at +1200 as no team outside of the Dodgers can offer that much slugging from top to bottom of the batting order.

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Falling: San Diego Padres +2500 odds to win World Series 

The Padres are one of the more entertaining teams to watch on a game-to-game basis because their overall talent makes it look like they’re having fun and just happy to be there. However, the hype train might be going off the rails as San Diego’s World Series odds have plummeted since the All-Star break. The Padres were as low as +700 during the break but have since jumped to +2500. 

The good news is they still have the second wildcard spot with a 1.5-lead over the Cincinnati Reds. The bad news is their pitching has become a tipped-over port-o-potty with regression. Prior to the All-Star break, the Padres pitching staff owned a 3.41 ERA (ranked third) but since the break, that’s jumped to 4.57 (ranked 22nd). Not good, Bob.

On top of that, the Padres are 14-16 SU in 30 games since the break which isn’t going to cut it in the ultra-competitive NL West division. With Fernando Tatis Jr. battling injuries and the pitching having such a sharp regression, it’s almost time to hit the panic button in San Diego for World Series odds.

Understanding World Series odds 

When you’re set to make a bet on the World Series and you visit your online sportsbook, it can be a bit overwhelming to understand the betting odds. No sweat. FTNBets has got you covered, and we’ll explain below how to comprehend World Series futures and betting odds.

The first thing you need to do is set up an account at a sportsbook of your choice, register and deposit money to bet with. Once that’s complete and you go to the MLB futures section, the World Series odds should look something like this:

• Los Angeles Dodgers +350
• Houston Astros +525
• San Diego Padres +700
• Chicago White Sox +725
• New York Mets +900

For futures odds, it’s rare a team will have a minus sign in front of it before it’s all but confirmed that the team will win. In this instance, each team has a plus sign in front of it, which correlates to how much profit you’d win based on a $100 bet. The team with the lowest number — here, the Los Angeles Dodgers — is considered the betting favorite.

Let’s say you think the Dodgers will win the 2021 World Series and you placed a $100 bet and they win. In that instance, you’d see a return of $450 to your sportsbook account — your $100 bet is returned and a profit of $350 is given back as a reward for your good pick.

On the flip side, let’s say you think the Mets will win the World Series and you decide to bet on them with that same $100. If the Mets won, you’d get $1,000 deposited into your sportsbook account — $100 bet is returned along with your profits of $900.

FTNBet’s parlay calculator can help you understand the odds better and see what you’d pocket for profits depending on the odds and amount you wish to bet.