With four teams left standing in the 2024 MLB season, the bookmakers see the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees as the sides with the shortest World Series odds.
The League Championship Series is officially underway, with the National League leading things off on Sunday for Game 1 between the Dodgers and New York Mets.
Los Angeles returned from the brink of elimination after falling into a 2-games-to-1 series hole in the NLDS against the rival San Diego Padres to take Games 4 and 5 to punch their ticket to the NLCS for the third time in the last six years.
This is a stage where most prognosticators believed the Dodgers would get to this season, given their unrelenting firepower.
In his first year with the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani made history as the first player to record 50 home runs and 50 steals in a single season. He has abundant support in the likes of Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Teoscar Hernandez to create one of the game’s more well-rounded and imposing lineups.
Their bullpen has also been stellar in the postseason, allowing just four earned runs in 22 innings pitched during the NLDS against the Padres—an ERA of 1.64.
But they face a Mets team that has been clicking on all cylinders since June 2. Since then, they have continued their role as the best team in baseball, overcoming a 24-35 start to upset the NL Central-winning Milwaukee Brewers in the Wild Card Series before shocking the NL East-champion Philadelphia Phillies in four games in the NLDS.
Francisco Lindor continues to etch his name in Mets lore with his game-winning grand slam in the sixth inning of Game 4 while receiving invaluable secondary pop from Mark Vientos, who went 9-for-16 against Philadelphia. Pete Alonso also has three home runs in seven postseason games this year.
Their starting pitching has also continued to defy the odds. Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, Jose Quintana, and Kodai Senga posted a 2.25 ERA during the NLDS.
Their crosstown rivals, the Yankees, are the favorites to move past the Cleveland Guardians in the ALCS and get to their first World Series since 2009.
The Bronx Bombers’ offense was not all that menacing in the ALDS, having scored three or fewer runs in the series’ final three games against the Kansas City Royals. However, the pitching carried them to the LCS — the bullpen did not allow a single earned run in 15.2 innings of work.
It helped smooth over a series in which Aaron Judge was a non-factor, though the conversation will only continue should his struggles extend to the LCS.
He’ll be facing a strong Guardians pitching staff, especially the top two starters, Tanner Bibee and Matthew Boyd, who combined to allow just two earned runs with 19 strikeouts in 15.1 innings of work.
The Guardians are not known for playing the most attractive baseball, but the results speak for themselves. Behind Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan, this was a 92-win team in the regular season that could give the Yankees a run for their money.
2024 World Series odds
- Los Angeles Dodgers +165
- New York Yankees +180
- New York Mets +425
- Cleveland Guardians +475
Odds courtesy of DraftKings. For more, click here.
