We’re almost a week into the second half of the 2021 MLB regular season, and we’re already seeing some signs of what is to come. The San Francisco Giants show no signs of slowing down, but they have seven matchups against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 13 days, which will play a major role in whether the Giants stay atop the NL West or give way to the favorites. The Texas Rangers have lost 27 of their last 30 road games, so the road was never all that kind to them, but they followed up a three-game disaster against the Blue Jays, in which they were outscored 25-2, with a 14-0 loss in Detroit — with their best pitcher, All-Star Kyle Gibson, on the hill.
Let’s look at the updated MLB betting odds for each team to win the World Series, along with some predictions about contending teams.
MLB News: Updated Odds to Win the World Series, AL & NL Predictions
| Team | Odds |
| L.A. Dodgers | +380 |
| Houston Astros | +625 |
| San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox | +800 |
| N.Y. Mets | +850 |
| Boston Red Sox | +1100 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +1200 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +1400 |
| N.Y. Yankees, San Francisco Giants | +1800 |
| Oakland A’s, Toronto Blue Jays | +2500 |
| Atlanta Braves | +4500 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +5000 |
| Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians | +6500 |
| Washington Nationals | +8000 |
| Chicago Cubs, L.A. Angels | +9000 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +10000 |
| Miami Marlins, Seattle Mariners | +30000 |
| Minnesota Twins | +50000 |
| Kansas City Royals | +60000 |
| Baltimore Orioles, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates | +100000 |
What about those Boston Red Sox? They sit below the third-place San Diego Padres despite a 55-36 record. However, they could use at least one front-line starting pitcher, if not two, at the trade deadline, and their situation in center field and first base is far from secure. The Sox did bring up Jarren Duran, who could take the center field job, but this team is not built for postseason success right now. Without those additions, we could see them falter badly in the second half.
The Chicago White Sox lost three front-line players — 2B Nick Madrigal, OF Luis Robert and OF Eloy Jimenez — to the injured list but still have the top winning percentage in the AL as of this writing. So even though manager Tony La Russa has shown a hamfisted touch at running a team in the 21st century, the team is winning. With Carlos Rodon and Lance Lynn leading a solid starting rotation, this is a team that could cool off the likes of Boston or Houston in the playoffs.
The L.A. Dodgers lead MLB with a +142 run differential. They still trail San Francisco in the division but have a 6-3 record against the Giants as of this writing, with those aforementioned seven matchups on tap. The Dodgers have the best lineup in MLB on paper, but we know that having the top group on paper and actually having them perform are two different things — and the Dodgers have learned that in the last few postseasons.
The San Diego Padres have been bitten by the injury bug, as three starting pitchers (Yu Darvish, Dinelson Lamet and Blake Snell) all visiting the injured list. Right now, they are trying to work a deal with Texas to get slugger Joey Gallo out to the West Coast, but their biggest need is some starting pitchers who can eat innings until some of those three can make their way back to the hill.
The N.Y. Mets are way too high on this odds list for a 47-40 team that makes SportsCenter several times a week with its latest fielding or baserunning blunder. Some of the exposure comes with being in New York, but this is just a silly team at times. Francisco Lindor may actually be starting to earn his $341 million, hitting .277 in his last 25 games. Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto are healthy again and are ready to hit. Could the Mets take off? We’ll see, but we need to get more value before thinking about betting on them to win it all.
MLB Betting Odds
Love betting on baseball like in the MLB? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date MLB betting Odds for all Regular Season, Playoffs, and World Series games.
