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Dodgers Open as -177 World Series Favorites Over Rays

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in MLB Baseball

Updated Oct 19, 2020 · 6:28 AM PDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers are -177 favorites to win the 2020 World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays. (Photo by Kiyoshi Mio/Icon Sportswire)
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers are -177 favorites to win the 2020 World Series
  • LA hasn’t won the World Series since 1988
  • See opening odds and analysis for the 2020 World Series between the Dodgers and Rays

The last time the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series, the Tampa Bay Rays were still a decade from being born.

The Dodgers beat the Oakland Athletics to win the 1988 World Series, the club’s most recent title. In 1998, the Rays joined the American League as an MLB expansion franchise.

In 2008, the Rays made their only previous World Series appearance, losing in five games to the Philadelphia Phillies.

That being the case, something has to give in this year’s Fall Classic. Either the Dodgers win their first World Series in 32 years, or the Rays win their first World Series of their 22-year history.

The oddsmakers are leaning toward the latter coming to fruition. The Dodgers are the -177 favorites to win the World Series. Underdog Tampa Bay is offered a +145 betting line.

Rays vs Dodgers World Series Odds

Team Moneyline
Tampa Bay Rays +145
Los Angeles Dodgers -177

Odds taken Oct. 19 at DraftKings.

Game 1 of the best-of-seven series goes Tuesday, with an 8:09 PM EST first pitch. The entire series will be played at the neutral site of Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Striking Similarities

On paper, it’s easy to see why these are the last two teams standing in pursuit of baseball’s greatest prize. The Dodgers finished the regular season with the best record (43-17) and run differential (+136) in MLB.

At 40-20, the Rays posted the best record and run differential (+60, tied with the Chicago White Sox) in the American League.

The Dodgers rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to beat the Atlanta Braves in a seven-game NLCS. In the ALCS, Tampa Bay squandered a 3-0 series lead against the Houston Astros but won Game 7 to advance to the Fall Classic.

Rays Can Pitch With Dodgers

Few teams can match up with LA’s deep pitching staff but Tampa Bay is among those ballclubs. LA goes three deep in quality starters with Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, and Dustin May. Kershaw is a three-time Cy Young Award winner and a former NL MVP.

Tampa Bay counters with Charlie Morton, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow. Snell is a Cy Young Award winner. Morton is the only pitcher in baseball history to win three Game 7s.

However, both Buehler (blisters) and Kershaw (back) are dealing with nagging ailments. Tampa Bay’s bullpen hasn’t been as taxed as the LA relief corps.

Both teams have excellent bullpens, although LA’s owns a slightly better ERA (2.74) than Tampa (3.37).

Seager vs Arozarena

The hottest bats in each LCS belong to Corey Seager of the Dodgers and Randy Arozarena of the Rays.

Seager set an NLCS record with five homers and 11 RBI.

Arozarena finished the ALCS with a .321 average and a 1.152 OPS. He’s knocked 21 postseason hits, one shy of the MLB rookie record, including seven homers.

Dodgers On The Offensive

The Dodgers scored 5.82 runs per game in the regular season, compared to 4.82 by Tampa Bay. There’s no easy outs in the LA batting order and they are among the most patient hitters in baseball.

Only the New York Yankees exhibited a lower chase rate this season and just the Houston Astros struck out fewer times than the Dodgers.

Beyond Arozarena, the rest of the Rays’ lineup batted .183 in the ALCS. Tampa Bay led the majors in strikeouts. During the postseason, Tampa is getting 71.9% of its runs from home runs. That rate was 41.5% during the regular season.

LA pitchers gave up the second-fewest homers in the majors this season.

Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers (-177)

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