The reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers currently do not hold the best record in Major League Baseball. That honor belongs to the Atlanta Braves. Yet, even with the Dodgers sitting 3.5 games back in the standings, bettors continue to back the team heavily.
At BetMGM, the Dodgers remain the favorites to win the World Series, with their odds moving from +350 to +190 since the season started. They also account for the highest percentage of tickets placed on World Series futures at 12.1%, followed by the Yankees (9.3%) and Tigers (8.5%). In terms of handle, Los Angeles leads at 26.0%, with the Yankees at 8.3% and the Blue Jays at 7.3%.
Despite their strong betting support, the Dodgers are in a rough stretch. They have lost three of their last five games, including two defeats to the Atlanta Braves and one to the struggling Houston Astros. Nonetheless, bettors are also backing them in the National League Pennant market, where they are the favorites at -105 and hold the highest handle at 26.2%.
The question remains: Is Los Angeles, which sits third in the NL behind Atlanta and Chicago, worth a wager to win the NL or the World Series given its recent struggles? FOX Sports MLB writer Deesha Thosar believes the Dodgers are still the standard in MLB but notes they must resolve Roki Sasaki’s recent pitching issues.
“The Dodgers have the type of depth that other executives dream about, making it a no-brainer to let Sasaki work out his troubles and give him a long leash,” Thosar explained. “It’s not like Sasaki is such a detriment that he’s throwing the Dodgers’ bullpen out of whack. Though he’s allowed multiple runs in his last three starts and is having trouble issuing walks, he’s averaging four-plus innings per outing, which is manageable for now. Sasaki’s command issues are a problem—his 14.1% walk rate is up from last year—but in a vacuum, that’s not hurting the club’s chances to compete in October.”
