The 2021 Major League Baseball season is soon going to be the only major sport on the go. As we approach the All-Star break, now is a great time to review the futures and see where there’s some value on the board. We’ll start off in the American League where we have a surprise team in front.
American League: World Series Odds
The Favorites
The Chicago White Sox (+650) are favored in the American League. As of right now, they are sitting at a 45-32 record and a run differential of 85 in their advantage. They were actually considered one of the favorites to win the World Series a little bit ago but have struggled since then. They were 41-24 just a few weeks ago and have had some inconsistent play all around.
The New York Yankees (+1100) were expected to be a top dog in the conference but they’re nowhere those expectations. They still have short odds given their talent but they’re merely 40-38. After losing four in a row, they are now fourth in the American League East.
The Longshots
The Houston Astros (+1600) are sitting atop the league with a record of 48-30 and have been crushing their opponents, sitting at a 142-run differential on the year. The team has shown that they can hit the ball well and provide solid pitching. As much as they were mocked for the various scandals of the past, they appear to be putting that behind them.
National League: MLB World Title Odds
The Favorites
Over in the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers (+340) have the shortest odds to win the World Series. They are currently 3.5 games behind the San Francisco Giants in their league but have a ridiculous amount of talent across their roster. This is almost exactly the same team that was able to march their way through the postseason and win the World Series just one season ago, so they are primed and motivated to do it once again. Their superstar player
The San Diego Padres (+750) are among the favorites in a loaded National League and National League West. They are one of the most talented teams and are just a game behind the Dodgers with their 47-33 record. The Padres are hot right now as they have won nine of their past 10 games. Fernando Tatis Jr. continues to be the superstar player that San Diego is needing him to be. He’s second in the NL in home runs (25) and OPS (1.024).
The Longshots
The San Francisco Giants (+1800) have been one of the biggest surprises in baseball as they have the best record in the National League. They are the only team in all of baseball to have reached 50 wins as they’re at 50-27.
A big key to the Giants’ success has been pitching as their 3.21 team ERA is third in all of baseball and not team does better than their 1.10 WHIP. Surprisingly, they also lead all of baseball in home runs, so they’re a balanced unit. We’ll see if they can carry this over into the playoffs, though.