Article courtesy OddsShark (@OddsShark)
The revenge tour for the Los Angeles Dodgers starts Opening Day, March 26, when they face the San Francisco Giants in the first of a three-game series. The weekend set is part of a larger six-game homestand versus a pair of National League West foes.
The Colorado Rockies visit Dodger Stadium next, and neither they nor the Giants are expected to challenge the seven-time defending division champions who are -900 betting favorites (wager $900 to win $100) to take home their eighth consecutive NL West title at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Los Angeles rightfully continues to feel wronged by failing to win the World Series two of the past three years when the team faced the Houston Astros (2017) and Boston Red Sox (2018) due to sign-stealing scandals.
But the Dodgers must move on and look forward to 2020 knowing they are again the best team in the NL on paper and should dominate a very weak division that includes the Arizona Diamondbacks (+850 to win the NL West), San Diego Padres (+1100), Rockies (+2800) and Giants (+3300).
While the NL West looks like another potential runaway for Los Angeles, the NL East and NL Central are both expected to be extremely competitive according to the odds at online betting sites. The defending division champion Atlanta Braves (+175 to win the NL East) and St. Louis Cardinals (+210 to win the NL Central) are each favored to repeat, although remember it was a Wild Card team that went the furthest in the playoffs and ultimately won the World Series over the Astros.
Yes, the defending World Series champion Washington Nationals are right behind the Braves at +250 to win the NL East despite losing All-Star third baseman Anthony Rendon to the Los Angeles Angels via free agency.
In addition, the New York Mets (+275) and Philadelphia Phillies (+333) are also considered challengers for the NL East crown in what is seemingly a four-team race. The NL Central is in similar position with the Chicago Cubs (+260), Milwaukee Brewers (+275) and Cincinnati Reds (+275) all vying for the division crown behind the Cardinals.
The Cubs (2016 and 2017) and Brewers (2018) each have the experience of winning the division recently while the Reds have not done so since 2012.
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