Oddsmakers certainly like the Los Angeles Dodgers’ track record, as they are favored to capture a third consecutive World Series title as the MLB playoffs get started this week.
The Dodgers have better odds than the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers, who set a franchise mark with 103 regular-season victories and had the best record in baseball. But the Brewers haven’t been to the World Series since 1982, when they were in the American League and lost in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Los Angeles, coming in as the National League West champion (100-62), is the favorite among the 12 playoff teams to keep its grip on the World Series trophy, according to DraftKings (+200), BetMGM (+210) and FanDuel (+230).
The Dodgers added to their core of playoff-proven stars in Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, among others, with left-hander Tarik Skubal. The two-time American League Cy Young Award winner was acquired from Detroit ahead of the trade deadline.
The three sports books agree that Milwaukee is the next most likely champion at +600 (DraftKings), +550 (BetMGM) and +500 (FanDuel). The Brewers have never won the World Series, but they do have rocket-armed Jacob Misiorowski, the NL Cy Young Award favorite who led the majors in ERA (1.80) and strikeouts (252).
There is some difference on the third slot, as the AL’s top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays (98-64) are the choice by DraftKings (+800) and FanDuel (+750), but the New York Yankees are listed by BetMGM with the Rays at +800.
The Yankees, with or without injured slugger Aaron Judge, first have to get past the Boston Red Sox in the best-of-three wild-card round played in New York starting Tuesday. The winner faces the resting Rays in the AL Division Series.
DraftKings has the Yankees fourth at +850 to win it all, while FanDuel places their odds at +800.
The AL Central champion Cleveland Guardians also have a break as they will await the survivor of the wild-card series between the Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox.
The Guardians are fifth per DraftKings and BetMGM (each at +1200) and FanDuel (+1000)
The Astros won the AL West with a .500 record (81-81) and the White Sox got passed by the Guardians in the Central to settle for the final wild-card berth.
The fact that the White Sox are a playoff team after 100-plus loss seasons in 2024 and 2025 is not lost on the oddsmakers. They have the longest odds of any team at +4000 (DraftKings, BetMGM) and +3500 (FanDuel).
The pennant chases follow suit, with the Dodgers favored in the NL (+115 by DraftKings, +130 by BetMGM), and the Rays having the best odds to represent the AL in the World Series (+270 by DraftKings, +260 by BetMGM).
The Dodgers next will face the winner of the wild-card series between the third-seeded Atlanta Braves and the sixth-seeded Philadelphia Phillies. The Brewers face the winner between the fourth-seeded San Diego Padres and the fifth-seeded Chicago Cubs in the other wild-card matchup.
World Series champion odds
Draft Kings:
Dodgers +200, Brewers +600, Rays +800, Yankees +850, Guardians +1200, Red Sox +1500, Braves +1500, Cubs +1700, Padres +2000, Phillies +2000, Astros +2500, White Sox +4000
BetMGM:
Dodgers +210, Brewers +550, Yankees +800, Rays +800, Guardians +1200, Braves +1500, Red Sox +1600, Cubs +1800, Phillies +1800, Padres +1900, Astros +2200, White Sox +4000
FanDuel
Dodgers +230, Brewers +500, Rays +750, Yankees +800, Guardians +1000, Braves +1400, Red Sox +1600, Phillies +1700, Cubs +1800, Astros +2200, Padres +2200, White Sox +3500
