First, the Los Angeles Dodgers landed superstar Shohei Ohtani.
A week later, the Dodgers agreed to a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who then agreed to a contract extension with L.A.
After those two big moves, they were already the betting favorites, but Los Angeles wasn’t done. The Dodgers landed another star pitcher to the roster, as Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto has finally found his MLB team.
RELATED: Why did Shohei Ohtani pick the Dodgers?
The three big moves have vaulted L.A. to the top of the World Series betting board.
Ohtani rocked the MLB world by leaving the Los Angeles Angels and signing as a free agent with the Dodgers for numbers never seen in North American sports history.
When Ohtani decided to wear Dodger Blue, the Dodgers’ odds of winning it all fell to +550.
When L.A. acquired Glasnow, the title odds dropped even further to +460.
Now, with Yamamoto in the mix, the Dodgers sit at +380 as the clear-cut favorites to win it all.
Let’s take a look at every team’s updated 2024 World Series odds.
ODDS TO WIN 2024 WORLD SERIES: *
Los Angeles Dodgers: +380 (bet $10 to win $48 total)
Atlanta Braves: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
New York Yankees: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Houston Astros: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
Philadelphia Phillies: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Texas Rangers: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Baltimore Orioles: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Toronto Blue Jays: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Seattle Mariners: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Minnesota Twins: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
New York Mets: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)
St. Louis Cardinals: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Tampa Bay Rays: +3200 (bet $10 to win $330 total)
Arizona Diamondbacks: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
San Diego Padres: +3800 (bet $10 to win $390 total)
Chicago Cubs: +3800 (bet $10 to win $390 total)
Boston Red Sox: +3800 (bet $10 to win $390 total)
San Francisco Giants: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Cincinnati Reds: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Milwaukee Brewers: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Cleveland Guardians: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)
Detroit Tigers: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)
Miami Marlins: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)
Los Angeles Angels: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Pittsburgh Pirates: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Kansas City Royals: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)
Washington Nationals: +17000 (bet $10 to win $1,710 total)
Chicago White Sox: +17000 (bet $10 to win $1,710 total)
Oakland A’s: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)
Colorado Rockies: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)
* odds as of 12/31/2023
Will the Dodgers win a World Series with Shohei Ohtani?
After the Ohtani singing, Cowherd said on “The Herd” that some big-name free agents falter after signing huge contracts because the new team doesn’t have the infrastructure to succeed. That will not be the case for Ohtani with the Dodgers, as we’ve already seen.
“Ohtani does not have to be the best Dodgers player — he will be, but he doesn’t have to be,” Cowherd said. “And there are nights he won’t be. He is not the savior of a franchise. They made the playoffs again last year. … The Dodgers are not asking him to save the day. They’re going to surround him with talent. They made another move [Friday] to get a very interesting arm from Tampa Bay [Glasnow].
” … I think it’s going to work. Los Angeles is crazy excited, and we can’t wait to watch it.”
If not the Dodgers, then who?
Trading for left-handed pitcher Chris Sale did not affect Atlanta’s World Series futures. The Braves remained at +650, second behind the Dodgers.
When analyzing the past, an early long-shot wager can pay off nicely when it comes to MLB title futures — the Rangers were +4500 entering last season.
The Diamondbacks, who fell three wins short of the title, were +12500 entering last season.
Including the Rangers, six of the past seven champions have had preseason odds of +1000 or longer (the 2020 Dodgers at +385 are the exception).
Preseason long-shot bettors had their golden era from 2010-15 when teams with +2000 odds or longer hoisted the trophy:
2015: Royals (+3300)
2014: Giants (+2500)
2013: Red Sox (+2800)
2012: Giants (+2000)
2011: Cardinals (+2500)
2010: Giants (+2500)
The teams with the shortest preseason odds to win it all since 1985 were the Yankees in 1999 (+200) and 2000 (+250).
The longest shots to win the Fall Classic since 1985 were the 1991 Twins (+8000), 2003 Marlins (+7500), 1987 Twins (+5000) and 2002 Angels (+4000).
Which team do you like to win the next World Series? One of the big dogs in the Braves or Dodgers? Or a long shot? Follow FOX Sports for the latest MLB news.
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