With the 2021 Major League Baseball season coming to an end it’s time to start looking at favorites to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy. With a full season of action the playoff format returns to the pre-pandemic days with three division winners and two wild cards qualifying from each league. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who ended a championship drought last season, have been the favorites pretty much all season and once again they top the odds board. It’s a little strange to see the Dodgers positioned as the favorite considering they may not even win their division. But the team is stacked and built for a one-game winner-take-all or a lengthy series with their pitching and depth.
Looking to become the first repeat champions since the Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000, the Dodgers are listed at +310. Holders of the best record for much of the season the Giants are the second favorite at +475. It’s sad that one of these clubs will have to battle in the wild card round, but it beats the alternative from before the playoff format was expanded. You may have forgotten that the Tampa Bay Rays finished as runner-up last season losing in six games to the Dodgers. All they’ve done this season is post the AL’s best record behind a low payroll and no big-name stars. Once the postseason begins anything can happen so make sure you place your bet on the 2021 World Series champion at BookMaker.eu.
MLB 2021 World Series Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers +310
San Francisco Giants +475
Houston Astros +550
Tampa Bay Rays +600
Chicago Whte Sox +700
Milwaukee Brewers +700
New York Yankees +1200
Atlanta Braves +1400
St. Louis Cardinals +1600
Boston Red Sox +1800
Toronto Blue Jays +2500
Seattle Mariners +4000
Philadelphia Phillies +4000
Oakland Athletics +4500
It’s hard not to like the Dodgers with their dominant starting pitching and a lineup that can score runs in bunches. There isn’t a lot of value on them entering the postseason but if they continue to advance the odds will only get shorter. And this is a tested team having overcome devastating playoff losses before finally breaking through last year. Motivation might be a factor, but that was put to rest during the regular season with the team working through injuries and suspensions to win more than 100 games again.
The St. Louis Cardinals have been playing playoff baseball for over a month and they rose to the challenge. Sitting outside the playoff race not long ago the Cards went on a rampage winning 16 straight games ahead of the final week of the season. At +1600 the Cards have tremendous value, but running the table as a wild card is incredibly difficult. And you have to think their good mojo is going to evaporate soon.
The Giants were around 80/1 to win the World Series at the start of the season and they’ve climbed to the second favorite behind the Dodgers. It’s been a magical season on the Bay with just about everyone having a career year. Sometimes that’s all it takes for a heavy underdog to achieve greatness. I’ve said this before that I’m still not convinced, but the Gigantes have proven me and everyone else wrong so why not win it all.
Nobody’s really talking about the Houston Astros, who are the favorite among all AL clubs at +550 to claim another World Series. The Stros busted free from the pack over the summer but cooled off over the last several weeks. They won the AL West and will avoid a wild card game making things a little bit easier. I have concerns about their starting pitching, though, and wonder out loud if it will hold up over a long series.
I don’t think you can ever count the Yankees out. They made an impressive second half run and are positioned as the top wild card entering the final weekend of the season. They started to get healthy and the offense clicked. They’re not a bad risk at +1200. The team I really like in the AL is the Chicago White Sox. They ran away with the AL Central and have been on cruise control for the last two months. They will have to flip the switch and with Tony LaRussa on the bench I don’t see that as a problem. The Sox have solid starting pitching, a strong bullpen and a crushing offense making them a solid option.
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