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Updated World Series Odds Entering 2019 Playoffs

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in MLB Baseball

Updated Mar 30, 2020 · 4:01 PM PDT

Houston Astros celebrate at home plate.
Sportsbooks list the Houston Astros as the +225 favorites to win the 2019 World Series. Photo by Keith Allison (Flickr) [CC License].
  • Sportsbooks list the Houston Astros as the +225 chalk to win the 2019 World Series
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers have the best odds in the National League at +300
  • See the updated odds for all 10 MLB playoff teams ahead of the Wild Card games

As the MLB playoffs get underway with the NL Wild Card game between the Brewers and Nationals on Tuesday, the Houston Astros are the team to beat for the World Series title.

Sportsbooks have established the Astros, who won an MLB-high 107 games, as the +225 favorite to win the 2019 Fall Classic.

2019 World Series Odds

Team Odds
Houston Astros +225
Los Angeles Dodgers +300
New York Yankees +400
Atlanta Braves +1000
St. Louis Cardinals +1000
Washington Nationals +1400
Minnesota Twins +1600
Oakland Athletics +1600
Milwaukee Brewers +2000
Tampa Bay Rays +2500

*Odds taken on 09/30/19.

The Los Angeles Dodgers (+300) and New York Yankees (+400) are next in line in the World Series odds. Both of these teams will be seeking to avoid setting franchise marks for postseason futility this fall. More on that below.

American League Teams

Houston Astros (+225)

The Astros unquestionably have the best starting staff in the majors, and yes, that’s recognizing the Nationals’ top-three of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin.

The Stros’ rotation features American League Cy Young Award favorite and 20-game winner Justin Verlander, MLB strikeout leader Gerrit Cole, and former Cy Young-winner Zack Greinke, who’s 8-1 with a 3.02 ERA and 1.07 WHIP since coming over from Arizona at the trade deadline.

Cole and Verlander finished first and second (in some order) in the AL in ERA, strikeouts, WHIP, and wins.

As a whole, Houston pitchers struck out the most hitters (1,671) and Astros batters struck out the least of any team (1,116). That’s a lethal combination in the playoffs. Houston will face the winner of the AL Wild Card game between the A’s and Rays. They went 11-8 against Oakland, but only 3-4 against Tampa Bay during the regular season.

New York Yankees (+400)

Despite persistent injuries to key personnel, the Bronx Bombers won over 100 games. They’re about as healthy now as they’ve been all season. The Yankees clouted 306 homers, one shy of the MLB record set by their first-round playoff opponents, the Twins. The Yanks won four of six from Minny on the year.

The bullpen is lights out. That helps a shaky starting rotation survive, although the return to health of Luis Severino has bolstered the starting pitching. James Paxton’s glute strain is a concern, though the team insists it’s minor.

It’s been 18 years since the Yanks won the World Series. The franchise has never gone 19 years between World Series triumphs.

Minnesota Twins (+1600)

The Twins mashed an MLB-record 307 homers. So why the long odds? For starters, it could be Minny’s first playoff opponent. Including the 2017 AL Wild Card game, the Twins are 0-5 in the postseason when facing the Yankees. New York holds a 13-2 edge in games, all-time

Overall, Minnesota has dropped seven successive playoff rounds since 2002, going 4-20 in games played. Their overall record against all other playoff teams this year was 18-19.

Oakland Athletics (+1600)

The A’s, who clash with the Rays in the Wild Card game, are the AL’s version of a sleeper team. Sean Manaea’s return bolstered the Oakland rotation. He’s 4-0 with a 1.21 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 30 strikeouts in 29.1 innings since coming back.

They’re dominant at home, and went 4-3 when facing the Rays. While they were only 8-11 against Houston, they had a winning record against all of the Brewers (2-1), Twins (4-3), Yankees (4-2), and Cardinals (4-0). They didn’t face the Dodgers or Braves.

Tampa Bay Rays (+2500)

Baseball’s relatively unloved small-market darlings, the Rays have a Cy Young candidate in Charlie Morton and a Cy Young winner in Blake Snell.

But Tampa Bay is just a middle of the pack team when it comes to offense, and they largely struggled against elite competition. Their 4-3 record against Houston is the only winning record against another playoff team. They went 2-2 versus the Dodgers, 2-5 versus the Twins, 3-4 versus the A’s, and a concerning 7-12 versus the Yankees.

2024 MLB AL & NL Pennant Odds Tracker - MLB League-Winner Odds Favor Dodgers (NL) and Astros (AL)
Read More

National League Teams

Los Angeles Dodgers (+300)

The Dodgers have lost the past two World Series. In this franchise’s storied history, they’ve never gone to three successive World Series. The only NL club to lose three World Series in a row was the 1911-13 New York Giants.

LA won a franchise-record 106 games and boasts a deep rotation headlined by Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, and Hyun-Jin Ryu. But the Dodgers’ bullpen is suspect. The Dodgers get whoever survives the NL Wild Card game, the Nationals or Brewers.

They were only a combined 16-14 against other playoff teams in the regular season.

Atlanta Braves (+1000)

The NL East champion Braves, who’ll face St. Louis in the NLDS, possess a deep attack that can overpower teams with slugging and/or speed on the basepaths. They went 4-2 against the Cards and 11-8 against the Nats, but were just 2-4 against the Dodgers and 3-3 with the Brewers.

Mike Soroka, Mike Foltynewicz and Dallas Keuchel form a solid though not spectacular rotation, and the bullpen remains a real concern. Even after bolstering their relief pitching at the deadline, the Braves still wound up with the sixth-worst bullpen ERA in baseball in the second half of the season.

St. Louis Cardinals (+1000)

The Cardinals always seem to be one of those teams that wins when it’s least expected, and no one expects it this season. Jack Flaherty has been nothing short of spectacular after the All-Star break (0.91 ERA vs 4.64 before the break), but he’s the team’s only reliable starter.

On top of that, as they face the powerful Braves, St. Louis ranks outside the MLB top 10 in runs, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Their results against other playoff teams were a mixed bag. The bested Washington (5-2), LAD (4-3), and Milwaukee (10-9), but struggled with the Braves (2-4), Astros (1-2), and A’s (0-4).

Washington Nationals (+1400)

After a 19-31 start, Washington went an MLB-best 74-38 and will host the Brewers in the NL Wild Card game. Who’d look forward to dealing with a rotation of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin?

The Nats lead the NL in runs (423), on-base percentage (.357), and stolen bases (60) since the All-Star break. Juan Soto (19), Anthony Rendon (14) and Trea Turner (12) have combined for 45 homers in that span. But they were just 2-4 against Milwaukee, and had a losing record against the rest of the NL playoff field, as well (8-11 vs ATL; 3-4 vs LAD; 2-5 vs STL).

Milwaukee Brewers (+2000)

Their rotation is a mystery. NL batting champ Christian Yelich (broken kneecap) is out. Outfielders Lorenzo Cain (ankle) and Ryan Braun (calf strain) are uncertain. And they face three-time Cy Young winner Scherzer in the NL Wild Card game.

Brandon Woodruff, who will start the Wild Card game, was having a breakout season before getting injured. While he’s looked decent since his return, he’s only pitched 4.0 innings since mid-July, and Milwaukee’s bullpen is not the same lights-out group it was last year. Their relievers finished 18th in the league in ERA and 13th in FIP (“Fielding-Independent Pitching”).

 

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