With playoff baseball coming in a little over a week, the World Series odds are beginning to tighten, and the Houston Astros continue to see their betting line climb.
Since the Yankees came out of the gates slumping in the second half of the season, the Dodgers took over as the betting favorite to in the Fall Classic. And that has remained, but now, the Astros are beginning to close the gap.
Check out the full updated World Series odds below:
National League Playoff Picture
As it stands, the Dodgers have locked up the No. 1 seed in the National League and will have a bye in the first round of the MLB Playoffs. The Mets are clinging to first place in the NL East over the Atlanta Braves by just 1.5 games in the NL, and the winner of that division will likely take the No. 2 seed. The Cardinals have clinched the NL Central and will likely play the No. 6 seed in the Wild Card Round.
The wild card races are worth watching in the final week of the season. The Braves have already clinched a playoff spot and would be the top wild card team if they’re unable to catch the Mets. The Padres and Phillies would take the final two wild card spots if the playoffs if the season ended today. However, the Brewers are just 1.5 games behind the Phillies for the third and final spot and will finish their season against the Marlins and Diamondbacks.
American League Playoff Picture
The Astros have all but locked up the No. 1 seed in the AL, and the Yankees will likely finish above the Guardians for the No. 2 seed. The Guardians have clinched the AL Central and will play the third wild card team in the first round.
Currently, the Blue Jays, Rays and Mariners hold the three AL Wild Card playoff spots. And while those teams are all within 1.5 games of each other in the standings; the Orioles would need a miracle to come back from a four-game deficit at this stage of the season.
The new third Wild Card spot in the playoffs should create some more excitement for fans, but there are still only a few top contenders to win the World Series this season. For now, the Astros and Dodgers have emerged as the favorites to represent their respective leagues for a repeat of the 2017 World Series.
