With MLB Spring Training less than two weeks away, fans and analysts eagerly anticipate the National League Championship race. With several talented teams vying for the top spot, predicting who will come out on top can be challenging. However, early odds and favorites are starting to emerge.
One team that is currently favored to take the National League Championship is the Los Angeles Dodgers. After winning the National League West division title nine out of the last ten seasons and putting up 111 wins last season, the Dodgers have established themselves as a dominant force in the league. The Dodgers lost Trea Turner and Justin Turner to free agency in the off-season but in December signed slugger J.D. Martinez and pitcher Noah Syndergaard to bolster their roster.
However, for the first time since 2018, they’re not the World Series favorite heading into the season (that honor goes to the defending champion Houston Astros). Los Angeles is the +350 favorite to win the National League Pennant.
The Dodger’s chief rival appears to be the San Diego Padres. The Padres went all-in during the off-season, signing all-star shortstop Xander Bogaerts to a monstrous 11-year deal, extending pitcher Yu Darvish, and coming to a 1-year deal with Juan Soto. San Diego will also get Fernando Tatis, Jr. back in the lineup after missing all of last season to injury and suspension.
Other teams that could make a run for the National League Championship include the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, who along with San Diego are at +475 odds.
The defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies at +700, round out the top five National League favorites. Last season, Philadelphia upset the Braves and the Padres en route to their first World Series appearance since the 2009 season.
Phillies Fans Enjoy Legal Sports Betting
In a significant development for sports fans in Pennsylvania, the state legalized sports gambling in 2019 to compete with nearby New Jersey, which was the first state to permit sportsbooks to operate following the Supreme Court’s decision in 2018 that struck down the federal ban. Since then, several states have moved to legalize sports betting, with Pennsylvania becoming the seventh state to do so.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will oversee the new industry, with licenses required for operators and strict regulations in place to ensure fairness and integrity in sports betting. Individuals can place sports wagers in licensed PA casinos or online via the internet or mobile apps.
The launch of legal sports betting in Pennsylvania is expected to impact the state’s economy significantly. According to a report by Oxford Economics, the industry could generate up to $1.7 billion in annual revenue and create over 2,000 new jobs.
