The MLB season passed the midpoint of the season in early July. As we approach the All-Star Break, every team has played at least 90 games. Even though the Philadelphia Phillies have the best record in baseball as the first team to reach the 60-win mark, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the betting favorite to win the 2024 World Series at +310 odds according to BetMGM.
The surging Phillies moved into second place on the futures board at +500 odds, while the slumping New York Yankees dropped to third overall at +600.
Dodgers (+310): Yamamoto, Ohtani Lead Consensus Favorites
The stacked Dodgers had an up-and-down April, but caught fire at the start of May thanks to a 5-1 start from rookie pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. But Yamamoto’s recent injury has no estimate when he might return
Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, playing DH during his first season with the Dodgers while he recovers from elbow surgery, is having a career-season at the plate with a .315/.401/.636 slashline. He leads the NL in home runs and he’s on pace to smash 50 home runs this season, which would also set a career mark.
The Dodgers are only a few games over .500 since their high-water mark in May at 33-17. Despite their recent struggles, the popular Dodgers are still the consensus favorite to win the World Series at multiple sports books in Las Vegas.
BetMGM links updated 3/10/24
Phillies (+500): Stellar Pitching in First Half
On Opening Day, the Phillies were +1500 odds to win the World Series. They overcame a slow start and injuries to key players to emerge as a legit threat to win the World Series at +500 odds.
They were 8-8 in mid-April before they went on a heater winning 29 out of their next 35 games. Even though multiple key hitters went down to injuries, the Phillies are one of the top teams in baseball thanks to their elite pitching staff that leads the majors with a 3.24 ERA. Four of their starters won at least nine games and three others reached 10 wins including Ranger Suarez, Zack Wheeler, and Aaron Nola.
Saurez began the season with a perfect 9-0 record and 1.36 ERA, but he’s come back down to Earth a bit over his last four starts. He’s still pitching lights out with a 10-3 record, 2.58 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 106 strikeouts.
The big knock against the Phillies is that they faced the easiest schedule in baseball in the first half of the season, so we’ll quickly find out how they handle themselves against better squads in the second half.
Yankees (+600): Bad Slump After Hot Start
The Yankees and Baltimore Orioles will be slugging it out for the American League East title, but the two division foes are among the top two AL teams on the World Series futures board.
The Yankees had a sensational beginning of the season and jumped out to a 45-19 record even though ace Gerrit Cole did not make his first start until mid-June. Rookie Luis Gil had an auspicious start with a 9-1 record, but he’s struggled since his epic run.
The Yankees began their recent slide in June with an 11-19 record over their last 30 games. Former MVP Aaron Judge leads the majors in home runs and RBI, and Juan Soto posted great numbers at the plate in his first season in pinstripes. However, the rest of the lineup struggled in the last quarter of the season. With manager Aaron Boone’s job in jeopardy once again, the Bronx Bombers must turn around their recent woes quickly before it’s too late.
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Orioles (+650): Staying Positive After Losing Brandish
The Orioles won the AL East with 101 wins last season, but were swept in the ALDS by the Texas Rangers. The Orioles entered the 2024 season on a mission to win another division title and cobble together a deep postseason run. They have not let a rash of injuries distract them from their prime objective. Even after losing Kyle Brandish to Tommy John surgery, the Orioles figure out ways to win without their ace. One week prior to the All-Star game, the Orioles had the third-best record in baseball at 57-34.
Braves (+900): Keep Chugging without Acuna and Strider
At the end of Spring Training, the Atlanta Braves were second on the futures board behind the Dodgers at +450 odds to win the World Series. Even after they lost Ronald Acuna and Spencer Strider for the entire year due to injuries, but they’re still putting up a good fight without their stars. The reemergence of Chris Sale has been a blessing and his 12 wins leads the majors. Sale anchors a pitching staff that posted the second-best team ERA in baseball at 3.44.
Guardians (+1600): Rodney Dangerfield of Baseball
The Cleveland Guardians are the Rodney Dangerfield of baseball this season because they can’t get any respect. On Opening Day, bookies didn’t pay much attention to them at +6000 odds to win the World Series. The disrespect continued through the first quarter of the season even though they rocketed to the top of the AL standings after a torrid stretch in April.
One week prior to the All-Star Break, the Guardians have the best home record in baseball and posted the second-best record overall at 57-33. Oddsmakers and some sharp bettors finally took note and their odds are now +1600, but that number still seems high considering their strong record.
The overlooked Guardians have a lights-out closer with Emmanuel Clase (28 saves, 0.83 ERA, 0.67 WHIP). Their offense is bolstered by power hitters on the corners with Josh Naylor and Jose Ramierz. Left fielder Steve Kwan leads the majors with a .363 average.
You can expect the Guardians to play with a chip on their shoulder the rest of the season, which is why they offer up solid value at +1600 odds to win the World Series.
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Losing Records for Last Year’s Pennant Winners
No one could’ve imagined that the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks would meet in the fall classic to determine last year’s World Series champion. Yet, the improbable occurred when a pair of Wild Card teams reached the 2023 World Series.
This season, both defending pennant winners are long shots to return to the World Series. The Rangers are suffering from the proverbial World Series hangover. They’re in third place in the AL West with a losing record, and seven games back in the AL Wild Card race. The defending champions are currently ranked #17 on the futures board at +8000 odds to win the World Series in back-to-back seasons.
The Diamondbacks also struggled to keep their head above water this season, and they also posted losing record through the halfway mark. Even though they’re in third place in the NL West, they find themselves in the thick of the Wild Card race. The Diamondbacks are smack in the middle of the futures board at +5000 odds to win the World Series.
