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With how crazy the 2023 Major League Baseball season has been, the betting odds have been moving all over the place in recent weeks. Not long ago, thanks to their brilliant start of play, Atlanta took over as the top club to win the Fall Classic. However, that’s no longer the case, which is pretty hard to imagine. That’s right, the Dodgers are the new World Series Favorites over the Braves, which a lot of fans can’t believe.
As of this writing, the Dodgers are 28-16 on the year and they’re playing at a much higher clip. The Dodgers are without a doubt one of the best teams in the bigs and they feature an insane amount of quality depth both at the plate and with their starting rotation. The Dodgers are always going to make headlines with their pitching thanks to guys like Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urias.
| World Series odds |  |  |  |  |
| Dodgers to win | +450 | +450 | +450 | +450 |
| Braves to win | +500 | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Astros to win | +750 | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Rays to win | +800 | +800 | +800 | +800 |
Meanwhile at the plate, Freddie Freeman, JD Martinez and Mookie Betts are all fantastic. Martinez signed this past offseason and fans are still hyped up about it. The veteran slugger has tremendous home-run power. With the Dodgers favored to win the NL West too, it looks like they are locks to make the postseason. It feels like the Dodgers are always going to be in a strong spot to win the division.
Can they go on to win the World Series too? According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Dodgers hold +450 MLB betting odds to win it all. The Braves are right behind them at +500. With the way LA has looked over the past month, their fans think they have what it takes to capture the glory once again. However, we’re going in a different direction for our pick.
The Braves are our pick to win the World Series this season
While LA might be the favorites, the Braves are our pick to win the World Series this season. Atlanta has very much looked like the top club in the NL this year. If it weren’t for the play of the Tampa Bay Rays, we’d all be talking about how Atlanta has been off to the best start in ’23. Regardless of that, the Braves are going to be a team to watch for the rest of the season, there’s no doubt about that.
One of the best storylines for the club this spring has been stud outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. Acuna is easily one of the best hitters in the NL and his home runs have been tremendous to see for manager Brian Snitker. Not long ago, Acuna was still recovering from his torn ACL. That serious knee injury prevented him from helping the Braves win the World Series in 2021. Now, he wants to help his team get back to the last series of the year.
The catcher's reaction to Ronald Acuña Jr's home run tonight says it all. Dude's on another planet right now. pic.twitter.com/BNiv6Kk535
— Justin Felder (@Justin_FOX5) May 18, 2023
“He’s the best player I’ve ever seen,” Teammate Spencer Strider said of Acuna in a recent interview with MLB.com. “I don’t know what else there is to say [about his production]. Words can’t really do it justice. He’s the best player in the game right now and I’m just glad he’s on our team.”
Acuna is hitting .345 in 2023, with 11 home runs and 27 RBI. With him playing so well, the confidence is high for the Braves as a whole. As we mentioned above, Atlanta holds +500 World Series betting odds for this year. A lot of people think they will take on the Dodgers in the NLCS. Some people aren’t taking the Braves seriously, but that’s a mistake. We think they have what it takes to be the champs this fall.
Can the Rays or Astros make a World Series splash too?
On the other side of things, can the Rays or Astros make a World Series splash too? That’s a question that a lot of people have on their minds at this point in the season. The Rays have seen their betting odds skyrocket, while the Astros are always going to be in the hunt too. Houston won it all last year and they’d love nothing more than to go back-to-back as World Series champs. They have the talent to do so too.
Call an ambulance… but not for us. pic.twitter.com/se4HAL1Smv
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 18, 2023
Tampa Bay has opened plenty of eyes thanks to how great they’ve been. A lot of folks thought the Yankees would dominate the AL East and win the division, but now the Rays are the clear favorites to come out on top there. Matter of fact, the Yankees hold the No. 3 odds in the division to win the AL East. That’s a stunner for sure.
The American League has so many great teams, but there’s no question in our minds that a trip to the World Series will come down to either Tampa Bay or Houston. If these clubs were to meet in the ALCS, it’d absolutely be a series to remember. We wouldn’t be shocked to see either Tampa Bay or Houston win the World Series too. They’re simply too good of teams to be forgotten.
