The Los Angeles Dodgers open the 2026 season this week with the shortest odds to win the World Series since the 2003 New York Yankees.
Key Takeaways
- The Dodgers have odds around +225 to win the World Series at most sportsbooks.
- Bettors aren’t shying away from taking L.A., but the Mariners and Pirates are two other teams getting a lot of attention.
- Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are the favorites in the MVP markets.
As low as the +200 favorite at FanDuel, that matches the Yankees squad’s number from 23 years ago, according to Sports Odds History, which uses BetMGM odds. That also ties the lowest preseason number since 1985. The Dodgers were +240 last year, and they rolled to their third World Series title in the last five years.
Heading into Opening Day, most U.S. sportsbooks have the Dodgers around +225 to win their third in a row, with the Yankees a distant second at +1,000.
“I wish I could say that their odds are too short, but you can’t argue with back-to-back championships,” Caesars Sportsbook’s baseball lead Eric Biggio told Covers this week. “Then they went out and got one of the best hitters in Kyle Tucker and the best reliever in Edwin Diaz during the offseason, so this team, on paper, might be better than last year’s version.”
Since the turn of the century, only the Yankees and the Dodgers have posted World Series odds below +300 on Opening Day. New York has done it three times while L.A. has held that mark twice. The Philadelphia Phillies in 2011 are the only other franchise to record below +400 odds during that span.
“(The Dodgers’) projected win total is roughly 10 wins higher than the next best team at Fanatics Sportsbook,” Kevin Hennessy, the online operator’s vice president of communications, told Covers this week. “The Dodgers are in a class of their own, and their odds reflect that."
| Year | Team | Odds to win World Series |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | New York Yankees | +200 |
| 2026 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +225 |
| 2025 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +240 |
| 2004 | New York Yankees | +260 |
| 2005 | New York Yankees | +300 |
| 2007 | New York Yankees | +300 |
| 2010 | New York Yankees | +325 |
| 2011 | Philadelphia Phillies | +350 |
| 2021 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +350 |
| 2024 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +350 |
Dodgers mania
The short odds aren’t stopping bettors, who fully expect L.A. to dominate and be the best team in the MLB this season. FanDuel, BetMGM, Fanatics, DraftKings, and Caesars all reported that the Dodgers are the most-bet team in their World Series winner markets.
At BetMGM, 14% of the tickets and 32% of all the money wagered on this future market has come in on the favorite, who’s currently listed at +225 after opening at +350.
The Dodgers are attempting to become just the third franchise in MLB’s long history to win at least three consecutive World Series titles. The Yankees have done it three times, with the latest coming from 1998-2000, while the Athletics did it in the 1970s when they were in Oakland.
The year New York was just +200 to win it all, the team lost to the Florida Marlins in the 2003 World Series in six games. The NL squad was a nearly 2-to-1 underdog entering the final series.
“(The Dodgers) have by far the most tickets written and the most money on them to win it all,” Biggio said. “A popular play has been including the Dodgers in futures parlays as a 'free square.' I’ve seen a good amount of Scottie Scheffler to win the Masters, Duke to win the tourney, and the Dodgers to win the World Series tickets put in.”
Taking other shots
Just because the Dodgers are popular doesn’t mean they are the only team attracting bettors in futures markets.
BetMGM opened the Detroit Tigers at +2,500 to win the World Series, but their odds have shortened to +2,000, and the AL squad has received 8.7% of the market’s bets, second-most behind the Dodgers.
Bettors also like the Toronto Blue Jays, who lost to the Dodgers in seven games last year. The AL contender is getting 8.2% of the handle with odds of +1,300, down from +1,800 when the market opened.
BetMGM customers are also taking chances on longshots, which the Blue Jays were last year. The Colorado Rockies (+50,000), Pittsburgh Pirates (+8,000), and Chicago White Sox (+50,000) are the operator’s three biggest liabilities.
The Pirates are getting the highest handle at 2.9%, and they are the most-bet team to make the playoffs at BetMGM with odds of +220.
Caesars has also seen wagers coming in on the Paul Skenes-led NL squad in other markets.
“There’s a lot of love for the Pittsburgh Pirates,” Biggio said. “Their win total went from 70.5 to 78.5, as they actually spent some money this offseason.”
Seattle love
The Mariners are another popular bet heading into Opening Day. At +1,100, third behind the Dodgers and Yankees in the World Series winner market, Seattle is “right up there” with L.A. in terms of liability, Biggio said.
BetMGM reported a notable wager of $450,000 on the Mariners to win over 90 games at -110 and another $300,000 bet for them to claim the AL West at even money. Seattle is also getting a market-high 39.7% of the handle to win the AL pennant at +500, but the White Sox (+15,000) are the book’s biggest liability in that market.
Over one-third of the NL pennant handle is on the Dodgers, but the Chicago Cubs have attracted a market-best 14.6% of the tickets and nearly 10% of the money.
Popular players
Two significant favorites are leading the AL and NL MVP markets, but neither are the biggest liability at BetMGM. Yankees star Aaron Judge is listed at +200 to take home the AL’s top player award, but Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez is getting 39.2% of the handle. Kansas City Royals infielder Bobby Witt Jr. is another popular ticket-getter.
At FanDuel, Boston’s Roman Anthony is receiving the most backing from bettors in the AL MVP race.
In BetMGM’s MLB MVP odds market, Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani (-145) is getting over 60% of the handle in the NL, but just 8.9% of the tickets. A higher percentage of bets are on Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper (+3,000), the operator’s biggest liability, and New York Mets slugger Juan Soto (+800).
Bettors are also “shying away” from the favorites at Caesars.
“Nick Kurtz and Vlad Guerrero Jr. have been popular picks on the AL side, and Ronald Acuna Jr. and Paul Skenes have been popular plays for the NL side,” Biggio said.
Is Paul Skenes winning the Cy Young? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/D8PI9bKYNU
— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) March 24, 2026
Skenes (+220) leads the NL Cy Young market at BetMGM, but Chicago’s Cade Horton is a bigger liability, while FanDuel said San Diego’s Mason Miller is the most popular bet in that market.
FanDuel and BetMGM bettors like Kyle Bradish in the AL Cy Young, while Konnor Griffin (NL) and Kevin McGonigle (AL) are running away with Rookie of the Year bets.
