It has not happened since 1981, but sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com believe the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees will square off in the World Series for the 12th time based on the latest National and American League pennant odds.
Of course the first seven times the Dodgers met the Yankees in the World Series, they called Brooklyn home and managed to win only once (1955). But Los Angeles won the most recent matchup with New York 39 years ago behind Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda.
This season, the Dodgers are strong +165 favorites (bet $100 to win $165) on the MLB betting futures to take home their third NL pennant in four years while the Yankees are even stronger chalk at +150 to earn the AL pennant. The sign-stealing scandal involving the Houston Astros has seemingly helped both teams, who have viewed them as vicious rivals recently. The Astros are the +300 second choice to win their third AL pennant and may have less competition in their own division than the other top contenders in the league.
The Minnesota Twins are the +700 third choice at sports betting sites to win the AL pennant followed by the Tampa Bay Rays (+950), Cleveland Indians (+1200), Oakland Athletics (+1200) Chicago White Sox (+1200), Boston Red Sox (+1400) and Los Angeles Angels (+1400). The Twins won their first AL Central title since 2010 last year but will have to battle the Indians and White Sox in what should be a very competitive division race.
In the NL, Los Angeles is expected to be challenged by the Atlanta Braves (+550 to win the pennant), Washington Nationals (+750), St. Louis Cardinals (+800), New York Mets (+900) and Philadelphia Phillies (+1000).
The defending World Series champion Nationals, Mets and Phillies all reside in the NL East, which looks to be even more competitive than the AL Central. However, the Cardinals might be in the most evenly matched division in baseball overall – the NL Central – along with the Milwaukee Brewers (+1200), Cincinnati Reds (+1300) and Chicago Cubs (+1300), who won the pennant in 2016 en route to capturing their first World Series title since 1908.
