With their two mega-star acquisitions of Shohei Otani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Los Angeles Dodgers have clearly solidified themselves as the team to beat not only in the National League, but the World Series as well when the 2024 regular season commences on March 20-21 in South Korea.
Searching for their first World Series title since 2020, the Dodgers head into the new year as a heavy favorite to win the Fall Classic at +375 odds with BetMGM Sportsbook. Los Angeles is atop the board by a considerable margin over the Atlanta Braves (+700) and New York Yankees (+900). The Dodgers are one of the biggest offseason favorites of recent seasons.
As we all know, you can’t win a championship in January, but how have other past teams clocked in as World Series favorites on or close to New Year’s Day in recent memory?
Below is a list of favorites over the last 15 years with odds posted by SportsHistory.com. This chart shows the preseason betting favorites for the World Series on or about Jan. 1 (the date varies with the data available at the website). The Dodgers have some of the shortest odds in the past 15 years. There are no legal California sports betting apps available yet.
World Series Favorites In Offseason Since 2010
If there was legal, regulated California sports betting as there is in more than 30 states, the Dodgers would no doubt draw a lot of wagering, as they do regularly elsewhere. Including this preseason, Los Angeles has been at the top of the preseason odds list in three of the last five years (2022, 2021) and six of the last 11 years (2018, 2015, 2014).
With last season’s NL West division title, the Dodgers extended their run of consecutive years with a playoff appearance. The Dodgers have appeared in 11 consecutive postseasons, the longest active streak among MLB, NFL, NBA or NHL teams. This chart across the traditional four “major” sports includes the 2023 MLB season, the 2022-23 season for NHL and NBA, and the 2022 season in the NFL.
Longest Current Playoff Streaks in NHL, NFL, MLB & NBA
Los Angeles Dodgers World Series Odds
The +375 Los Angeles Dodgers World Series odds this season, as of Friday, are tied for the fourth biggest favorite (Chicago Cubs, 2017) since 2010. Other odds for the Dodgers at BetMGM this season:
- -275 National League West Division winner over the Arizona Diamondbacks (+500);
- +200 favorite to win the National League over Atlanta (+375);
- Ohtani to hit over/under 38.5 home runs is listed at -115 both sides.
Last season, the Dodgers (100-62) won the NL West Division, but had an early exit from the postseason, losing three straight to the Diamondbacks in the Division Series. With the Dodgers spending more than $1 billion dollars in the offseason, including the acquisition of pitcher Tyler Glasnow (acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this month), the expectations for Dodgers glory once again have risen greatly.
It all starts with spring training in February. While you’re waiting, BetCalifornia.com will keep covering efforts to make legal CA sports betting promos a reality.
