World Series odds, predictions: Bettors backing Los Angeles Dodgers despite best World Series odds in 20 years

Fresh off of a five-game World Series victory over the New York Yankees in 2024, the Los Angeles are again the betting favorite at sportsbooks to win the 2025 World Series — only this season, they are a historic favorite.

The Dodgers (+240 at BetMGM and even higher at some other sportsbooks) are the shortest World Series favorite in over 20 years. The Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees (both at +900) have the next-best odds at BetMGM, followed by the Philadelphia Phillies (11-1) and New York Mets (12-1). 

The Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins all share the longest odds to win the World Series at 500-1 odds.

The last time that a team had shorter odds to win the title was the 2003 Yankees at +200 odds, according to Sports Odds History. The team with the best preseason World Series odds has only won it all three times in the past 20 years, including the Dodgers last season.

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Those odds aren’t stopping the betting public from backing Los Angeles to repeat, though.

“Despite them being such big favorites at +240, we do have liability on the Dodgers believe or not,” Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at The Borgata in Atlantic City, told Yahoo Sports. “Everybody seems to be betting them. The Yankees, Phillies and Mets have some liability, but outside of those four teams, there isn’t anyone else.”

The Dodgers have twice as many wagers (17.2%) as any other team to win the World Series and more than four times as much money wagered (37.1%) at BetMGM. It’s even more lopsided at some other sportsbooks, as nearly half the wagers in the World Series futures market at DraftKings are on Los Angeles.

“You know the Yankees and Mets are going to be bet,” Johnny Avello, sportsbook director at DraftKings, said. “With the Mets picking up Juan Soto, they’re going to continue to be a hazard for us. The Dodgers, of course, are definitely getting some play even at that small number.”

It’s no surprise the public loves the Dodgers, as the team has won the NL West crown in 11 of the past 12 seasons and made the postseason every year. And after winning the World Series last season, all that Los Angeles did was add two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, in addition to re-signing Clayton Kershaw and Teoscar Hernandez. And superstar Shohei Ohtani is set to resume pitching at some point this season as well.

“It’s been all Dodgers this offseason,” Halvor Egeland, trading strategy manager at BetMGM, told Yahoo Sports in a text message. “If we put a market up with the Dodgers involved, it takes money. I can’t say I blame anyone, that team could be the best ever assembled.”