With the MLB season entering the final stretch, it's becoming clearer and clearer who the contenders and pretenders are.
With the MLB season entering the final stretch, it's becoming clearer and clearer who the contenders and pretenders are.
The latest: The Dodgers continue to win games at a breakneck pace, but the Houston Astros might be a sleeping giant. There are plenty of dark horses in the mix, and the Seattle Mariners could be the best of them.
Here are the latest World Series odds.
Check out the latest odds to win the World Series. Click linked odds to add selection to your betslip.
| Player | Odds | Odds on September 19 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +315 | +315 |
| Houston Astros | +385 | +385 |
| New York Mets | +550 | +575 |
| New York Yankees | +550 | +600 |
| Atlanta Braves | +700 | +600 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +1,800 | +2,200 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +2,000 | +2,000 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +2,200 | +2,200 |
| Seattle Mariners | +2,200 | +2,200 |
| Cleveland Guardians | +2,800 | N/A |
Odds as of 2:39 p.m. on 09/26/2022
The favourites: Los Angeles Dodgers (+315)
World Series futures favourites often disappoint us due to the chaotic nature of the MLB playoffs, but the Dodgers could be the exceptions to that rule.
Los Angeles is steamrolling the opposition with a winning percentage near 70%. Frankly, it's tough to pick out a weakness.
The top third of its lineup — Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner — is as good as it gets, and a rotation led by Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias and Tony Gonsolin is extremely hard to match up with.
Los Angeles is also packing a top-five bullpen, and the kind of roster depth they've become known for accumulating. The club didn't make a momentous trade deadline deal, but slugger Joey Gallo could be an X-factor if he can put his struggles in New York behind him.
The San Diego Padres' deadline acquisition of Juan Soto initially looked to make them more of a threat to the Dodgers in the National League. Unfortunately for the Padres, Fernando Tatis Jr.'s 80-game PED suspension threw cold water on the team's momentum — and tanked their odds.
The best argument against a bet on the Dodgers is that the Houston Astros are similarly talented, and the short series of the MLB playoffs favour the field over the favourite.
Best value: Houston Astros (+385)
With the Yankees scuffling, FanGraphs gives Houston the best chance to win the World Series of any AL team by a significant margin. The club that's made the ALCS in five straight seasons — as well as two of the last three Fall Classics — is always in the mix, and 2022 has been another strong campaign.
Jose Altuve is rejuvenated, Yordan Alvarez is in the midst of a career year and Justin Verlander is a Cy Young favourite at the age of 39. The rotation has four excellent pitchers, and the club hasn't missed a step with Carlos Correa gone thanks to rock-solid rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena.
Houston hasn't thrashed its opponents like Los Angeles, but it's a deep squad with few holes and plenty of top-of-the-roster talent. It's already clinched its division, and a playoff bye is in the cards.
The Astros may not be quite as potent as the top dog, but their situation is better — and trade deadline additions Trey Mancini, Christian Vasquez and Will Smith only help their cause.
Team to watch: Seattle Mariners (+2,200)
Seattle hasn't made the playoffs since 2001, but they could make some noise in the postseason this year.
The Mariners are undoubtedly a longshot, but they also have a lot going for them. For one thing, their rest-of-season strength of schedule (.430) is extremely weak. That gives them an outside chance to earn the highest seed among the AL wild card teams.
Seattle's biggest flaw is a lack of offensive firepower, but there's no doubt this team can pitch. A rotation built around Luis Castillo, Robbie Ray, Logan Gilbert and George Kirby is one of the league's best, and the bullpen has been locking down leads all season long.
The Mariners wouldn't be the favourite in any series they participated in. But a plucky team with top-notch arms, an ascending superstar in Julio Rodriguez and some serious momentum after recovering from a 21-28 start could be dangerous.
Line: (+1,800)
Now that the Blue Jays' odds have come down a bit, they have become an intriguing longshot bet in the Seattle mould. They are still unlikely to win it all, though.
An elite core of position players might not be enough to push them through the wild card round, let alone deep into the playoffs — especially with a middling bullpen and a rotation lacking back-end depth.
Toronto isn't short on talent, but the club has undeniable holes and very little chance of winning its division.
The Blue Jays made a few upgrades at the deadline adding Anthony Bass and Zach Pop to their bullpen and bringing aboard swingman Mitch White. Whit Merrifield could also make an impact in a limited role, but this quartet of imports hasn't profoundly improved them.