World Series Odds: Manny Machado Trade Makes Dodgers the National League Favorite

The Dodgers are hoping to claim their first World Series title since 1988.

While the top American League teams jockey for postseason positioning, the Los Angeles Dodgers have emerged as the team to beat in the National League thanks to the addition of Manny Machado via trade with the Baltimore Orioles after the MLB All-Star break.

In fact, the move to acquire Machado has boosted the Dodgers on the World Series odds to +500 (wager $100 to win $500) at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

Los Angeles is now listed as the co-third choice to win it all along with the New York Yankees (also +500) behind only the defending World Series champion Houston Astros (+425) and Boston Red Sox (+475). The Dodgers would seem to have an easier path back to the World Series too considering the other contenders all reside in the AL.

The Chicago Cubs are the exception as the +650 fifth choice to win the World Series, and they have squared off with Los Angeles in the NL Championship Series each of the past two years. The Cubs ended their infamous World Series drought in 2016 with a seven-game win over the Cleveland Indians, and they hope to add another championship sooner rather than later if they can just find a way to solve their pitching woes.

The Indians might offer the best value of any team at +1400 as the two-time defending AL Central champs. Cleveland has the biggest division lead of any team in baseball and loads of playoff experience as well despite a mediocre overall record when compared to other teams fighting for the postseason. The difference is, the Indians should be there.

Still more teams with an outside shot at winning the World Series in 2018 include the Atlanta Braves (+1400), Philadelphia Phillies (+1400) and Milwaukee Brewers (+2000) in the NL. Atlanta and Philadelphia are battling for the NL East title while Milwaukee is chasing Chicago in the NL Central.

The Arizona Diamondbacks (+2500), Washington Nationals (+2500) and Seattle Mariners (+2500) have even more work to do in order to pay off on the odds to win the World Series. Of that group, the Nationals have the toughest road to the playoffs since they are hovering around the .500 mark and not close to a Wild Card spot at this point.