Article courtesy OddsShark (@OddsShark)
It has been 20 years since there has been a repeat World Series champion, but it was also more than three decades since the Los Angeles Dodgers won it all before doing so again last week. That said, Los Angeles is listed as a +500 favorite on the World Series odds for 2021 at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.
The Dodgers topped the Tampa Bay Rays in six games for the MLB title last Tuesday after failing to come through in their previous two World Series appearances (2017 and 2018). They did so with baseball’s best offense and strong pitching centered around a pair of aces, youngster Walker Buehler and veteran Clayton Kershaw, who is likely a future Hall of Famer.
Buehler and Kershaw will be around next season along with a number of their top hitters, including Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger and World Series MVP Corey Seager.
The biggest challenge for Los Angeles in the National League figures to come from a division rival in the San Diego Padres, who have an equally powerful offensive lineup and two potential aces as well in Dinelson Lamet and Mike Clevinger, both of whom battled injuries down the stretch and into the postseason. The Padres are +1100 at sports betting sites to win their first-ever World Series title, with the defending NL East champion Atlanta Braves right behind them at +1200. The Braves lost to the Dodgers 4-3 in the 2020 NL Championship Series after blowing a 3-1 lead.
The Rays are also in the mix at +1400 to win the 2021 World Series, although their competition will be tougher than ever in the American League. The New York Yankees are the +600 second choice to win the World Series behind Los Angeles and fell to Tampa Bay 3-2 in the AL Division Series.
The Yankees will need to get better starting pitching though besides ace Gerrit Cole, who is still seeking his first World Series title. Tampa Bay’s pitching was too much for New York this year, and that could be the case again if the Bronx Bombers do not improve there. They are the last team to win consecutive World Series, taking three in a row from 1998 to 2000.
Rounding out the top contenders from the AL are the Chicago White Sox (+1100) and Oakland Athletics (+1600), two 2020 playoff teams that are looking to take the next step. The White Sox are an especially curious choice after hiring 76-year-old Tony La Russa as their new manager, replacing Rick Renteria. La Russa has not managed since 2011 with the St. Louis Cardinals, who won two World Series (2006 and 2011) and seven division titles in 16 years there.
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