The Los Angeles Dodgers remain among the favorites for the 2025 World Series, but recent on-field results have led sportsbooks to alter their outlook modestly entering September. While real money casinos still project the Dodgers as a top contender, the last two weeks have seen competitive divisional play and persistent injuries temper expectations. The team heads into a pivotal stretch aiming to solidify its position atop the National League West.
A recent sweep of the Cincinnati Reds restored momentum, putting them two games up on San Diego in the National League West. Yet, heading into that series, things didn’t look so bright. The Dodgers dropped the weekend series against the Padres in San Diego 1-2 after limping to a 2-2 split with the last-place Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. This sequence of results, reflecting alternating hot and cold performances, has contributed to the subtle swing in futures betting on the club’s postseason chances.
Shohei Ohtani Leads the Offense
Shohei Ohtani remains the centerpiece of the lineup. Through 134 games, he sits at 45 home runs and 85 RBIs, leading the team in both categories, and carrying a .270 batting average with 141 hits. Ohtani’s plate discipline and power presence have helped the Dodgers maintain a top-five MLB ranking in runs and home runs even as other bats have cooled. Over the past ten games, Ohtani has delivered four home runs, rebounding after a brief slump that coincided with the club’s losses to Colorado and San Diego.
Freddie Freeman, batting .302, anchors the middle of the order and competes for the National League batting title with consistent contact and run production. He has 18 home runs and 75 RBIs this season, and his ability to work deep counts has preserved the Dodgers’ impressive .348 on-base percentage, second only to Philadelphia in the National League.
Current Roster and Injury Updates
In late August, the Dodgers’ roster features a blend of established stars and emerging contributors. Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto headline the starting rotation. Clayton Kershaw, now 37, continues to provide reliable innings, entering September with a 9-2 record and a 3.06 ERA. Emmet Sheehan and Tanner Scott have stepped up in key relief moments, but the bullpen’s depth has faced challenges from a string of injuries.
Tommy Edman (ankle), Max Muncy (oblique), and Hyeseong Kim (shoulder) are current names on the injured list, though Kim’s status offers hope for a September return. The long-term list includes several arms like Alex Vesia, Brock Stewart, and Roki Sasaki. The right side of the infield has leaned heavily on Miguel Rojas while Enrique Hernández returned this week and will find extra at-bats amid Edman’s absence. The club continues to shuffle the bench as they hope for quick recoveries that could improve versatility and situational hitting.
Assessing Recent Results
After sweeping the Padres at Dodger Stadium and building a one-game lead in the Division, the Dodgers promptly split a four-game set with Colorado, showing flashes of offensive power and struggling with runners in scoring position. The Cincinnati sweep reversed that trend, with Ohtani and Betts both homering and the pitching staff throwing 19 scoreless innings. Glasnow struck out 10 in the series opener, Kershaw pitched six shutout innings to help grab the second game, and Ohtani gave up just one run in five innings in the series finale.
The Dodgers’ run differential sits at +110, underlining their ability to outscore opponents over the season, but they have relied heavily on the long ball for offense. Concerns remain regarding consistency against left-handed pitching, and tight divisional games have exposed some defensive vulnerabilities, especially with frequent lineup changes caused by injuries.
World Series Odds and National Landscape
Los Angeles entered August as the consensus favorite for the National League pennant and World Series, with odds as short as +260 in most major sportsbooks. After the recent stretch, those odds lengthened slightly to +300. The shift reflects rising confidence in contenders like the Phillies and Brewers, who have made key trade deadline additions and closed the gap in wins and run totals.
Sportsbooks note that the Dodgers’ standing in the betting markets could swing again depending on Edman and Muncy’s returns and the pitching staff’s effectiveness versus other playoff hopefuls. The National League West remains competitive, with the Padres pushing for a wildcard berth and the Diamondbacks also in contention. All eyes turn to September as Los Angeles prepares for a high-leverage series shaping the playoff bracket.
Dodgers Face a Mediocre September Schedule
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ remaining 2025 schedule features a series of key matchups against division rivals and playoff hopefuls as they finish August and head into September. Upcoming home games include a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, followed closely by a road trip to face the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles. In mid-September, they return to Los Angeles for crucial games against the Colorado Rockies, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Francisco Giants. These rivalries and late-summer contests will play a significant role in their chase for postseason positioning.
After their homestand, the Dodgers hit the road for matchups with the Giants in San Francisco, the Diamondbacks in Arizona, and the Mariners in Seattle to wrap up the regular season. Games in late September against the Giants and D-backs will likely be vital for playoff seeding and wild-card implications. With mixed home and away fixtures against National League West rivals and National League East contenders, the Dodgers’ schedule balances competitive division battles with more extended trips, setting up a dramatic finish as the 2025 regular season approaches.
Contender or Question Mark?
The 2025 Dodgers roster combines star power with new faces and demands depth to remain competitive. While Ohtani, Freeman, and Betts fuel the offense, and veterans like Kershaw and Glasnow anchor the rotation, the impact of injuries and the challenges of a demanding September schedule force the club to continually adapt. This flexibility, the possibility of returns from the injured list, and an improving bullpen may narrow the odds further.
The Dodgers’ postseason fate remains compelling as the calendar shifts toward September. The dominant stretches and hiccups keep betting markets and fans watching closely. Whether Los Angeles solidifies its spot as the World Series favorite or faces tighter competition in the month ahead will depend on health, consistency, and execution.
