The end of the 2021 MLB season is just a few weeks away and teams are making their final push for a postseason spot. There’s nothing more prestigious in the world of baseball than winning a championship at the end of a gruelling season, so you can bet that teams will do what they can to prove that they’re 2021 World Series contenders.
To few people’s surprise, the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to be BetOnline’s favorite to win the 2021 World Series at +320 odds. The Dodgers were the most dominant team last season, which culminated in a championship victory. If they pulled it off this year, they would be the first team to win it all in back-to-back years since the New York Yankees did it over 20 years ago.
People expected the Dodgers to be contenders this year — especially as they managed to bring back most of their World Series-winning roster. However, their lineup improved even more at this year’s trade deadline with Los Angeles bringing in the likes of 2021 MLB All-Star shortstop Trea Turner and three-time Cy Young-winning pitcher Max Scherzer. Both of them added to an already-stacked Los Angeles roster, which further cemented their World Series odds.
The Dodgers have a 26-10 record since the trade deadline, which is tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the best record in that span. To add on to that, Los Angeles’ 2.33 ERA during those 36 games is also an MLB-best while their 226 allows are the fewest by a large margin. Assuming they can keep this play up in September and beyond, there’s no reason why the Dodgers can’t win the 2021 World Series.
2021 World Series Odds
Odds via BetOnline as of Friday, September 10
- Los Angeles Dodgers (+320)
- Houston Astros (+525)
- Tampa Bay Rays (+600)
- Chicago White Sox (+700)
- Milwaukee Brewers (+700)
- San Francisco Giants (+700)
- New York Yankees (+1400)
- Atlanta Braves (+1600)
- Boston Red Sox (+2000)
Complete odds list is available at BetOnline.ag.
Houston Astros Championship Odds
The Houston Astros didn’t have the best experience last season. While they made the playoffs, their 29-31 performance was their first sub-.500 record since the 2014 MLB season. They still made it to the American League Championship Series, however, it was clear they needed to play better going forward.
Fast forward to September and the Astros’ 81-58 record has them sitting first place in the AL West. As a result, Houston has the second-best odds to win the 2021 World Series at +525, according to BetOnline.
While the Astros’ World Series odds are great, it doesn’t change the fact that they’ve been struggling for the last month or so. They’ve gone 17-17 in their last 34 games, which is tied for the 14th-best record during that span. Second baseman Jose Altuve has been quiet during this stretch, recording just two home runs and six RBIs on a .252 batting average. If he can finally wake his bat up in September, a lot more people will be convinced that the Astros can win the 2021 World Series.
Tampa Bay Rays 2021 World Series Odds
Being a small-market team means that a lot of people may have missed out on how good the Tampa Bay Rays have become. After years of underperforming, they advanced all the way to last year’s World Series, where they eventually lost to the Dodgers in six games. Fortunately for Rays fans, Tampa Bay took that experience and turned it into success this year. The club’s 88-52 record is the second-best in the league, leading to them having the third-best 2021 World Series odds (+600).
As mentioned earlier, the Rays are tied for the best record in the league since the trade deadline and that’s no fluke. Their 229 runs scored since then are the most in the majors — 39 more than the next closest team. The Rays also have the most extra-base hits (140) and total bases (595) while also owning the best slugging percentage (.489) during that span. It just seems like nobody can slow the Rays down at the moment, which is why they should be seen as contenders well into the postseason.
