Best bets for possible World Series matchups
We took a few stabs at possible World Series matchups prior to the 2019 season. It was practically a crapshoot; we had a decent feel for who the contenders were, but correctly pairing the last two standing was essentially guesswork.
Now, the picture's a bit clearer regarding who's real and who's not. Here are the updated odds for possible World Series matchups at the halfway point of the campaign:
| Matchup | Odds |
|---|---|
| Dodgers vs. Yankees | 5-1 |
| Dodgers vs. Astros | 7-1 |
| Dodgers vs. Twins | 11-1 |
| Braves vs. Yankees | 15-1 |
| Braves vs. Astros | 19-1 |
| Dodgers vs. Rays | 23-1 |
| Cubs vs. Yankees | 24-1 |
| Brewers vs. Yankees | 25-1 |
| Dodgers vs. Red Sox | 25-1 |
| Phillies vs. Yankees | 27-1 |
| Braves vs. Twins | 29-1 |
| Cubs vs. Astros | 29-1 |
| Brewers vs. Astros | 30-1 |
| Phillies vs. Astros | 30-1 |
| Cardinals vs. Yankees | 35-1 |
| Cardinals vs. Astros | 40-1 |
| Cubs vs. Twins | 40-1 |
| Dodgers vs. Indians | 40-1 |
| Nationals vs. Yankees | 40-1 |
| Brewers vs. Twins | 45-1 |
| Phillies vs. Twins | 45-1 |
| Nationals vs. Astros | 50-1 |
| Braves vs. Rays | 55-1 |
| Cardinals vs. Twins | 60-1 |
Who to fade
- The Twins are fascinating. They're also very, very scary to trust to win the pennant. Just about every hitter in the lineup has exploded for a breakout year (we called it!) and while some offenses are more boom-or-bust, Minnesota's just solid all around. We're unsure, however, if a pitching staff that's held its own this season can hang with teams like the Yankees and Astros when it matters, or if the bats can stay hot against elite postseason pitching.
- The Braves are likely at the top of their 2019 market. The league's third-luckiest team should be 46-37 based on run differential but sits 15 games over .500 entering the weekend. That's not to say the Braves aren't a good team; they are. But they've also benefited from some good fortune. They're certainly catching some attention following a hot stretch but, much like any club lumped in the second tier of NL contenders, they figure to struggle in the pitching department. Mike Soroka has been fine, but he's a 21-year-old who underwent shoulder surgery just last season. Max Fried is regressing, as is Julio Teheran. The one caveat is a bullpen that's magically morphed into a stable unit, but the rotation desperately needs a power pitcher at the top before we can fully buy in.
Hitch your wagon to the Dodgers
The Dodgers are so far ahead of the rest of the National League it'd be the letdown of all letdowns should they not make the World Series. They have six everyday players with a wRC+ of 120 or better and a crazy amount of depth behind that; Cody Bellinger - not Christian Yelich - is your MVP at the moment. For crying out loud, Clayton Kershaw is their third-best pitcher right now.
There are some good clubs in the National League, but not a single one has the pitching to hang with LA. Let's find some suitors!
Matchups to Consider
Dodgers vs. Astros (7-1)
There are some bad cliches in baseball. The Astros being "built for October" is not one of them.
Some of the American League contenders - the Twins, Yankees, and even the Rangers and Rays to an extent - have had their fair share of surges to swoon bettors. Houston went on a nine-game win streak more than a month ago but has since struggled. This feels like a good time to buy a contender that hasn't hit its stride in some time.
The Astros might be the quietest 51-win team in baseball and they're still struggling to put together a complete roster with injuries to key players. Get all the bodies back in the lineup, acquire another starter or add to an already elite bullpen at the deadline, and Houston should be back in the World Series for another date with L.A.
Dodgers vs. Rays (23-1)
It feels like yesterday you had to pay a cover charge to join the Rays bandwagon. They haven't totally unraveled, but a 13-17 record over the last 30 games has paved the way for the Indians, Rangers, and Red Sox to catch up. There's still a lot to like about the Rays in the second half of the season, though. They're 46-36 entering Saturday and should be a 49-win team based on run differential; they have a losing record in one-run games so far and Blake Snell doesn't figure to pitch as poorly as he has of late. Tampa's farm system is also stocked, which should allow the team to pluck a big bat or add another frontline starter alongside Snell and Charlie Morton for a postseason run. We'd take anything better than 20-1.
Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.