Early World Series Favorites: Best Odds, Best Value; MLB Game of the Day

The 2024 MLB playoff field is starting to come into focus.

The Cleveland Guardians, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers have all locked up their respective divisions. The New York Yankees can clinch the American League East with a win over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. The National League West is still up for grabs with the Los Angeles Dodgers as the favorites given a two-game lead and a favorable final series against the Colorado Rockies.

Even if they don’t claim the top spot in the division, the Orioles and Padres have already punched their tickets to the postseason.

While there is much left to be settled, thoughts of the 2024 World Series are already in the minds of fans of teams headed to the postseason.

As things currently stand based on the odds provided by FanDuel’s Sportsbook, the Dodgers (+320) and Phillies (+420) are neck-and-neck as the heavy favorites to claim to win the World Series trophy out of the NL. In the AL, the Yankees (+440) are the heavy favorites to be the last MLB team standing.

While it’s hard to deny any of those three teams being the favorites to win with five days left in the regular season, there is one team who might have the best value.

The Padres are hanging tough with the mighty Dodgers at the top of the division. They have an excellent bullpen, a capable starting rotation and a deep lineup consisting of the likes of stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, talented rookie Jackson Merrill, the contact-oriented Luis Arráez and the breakout Jurickson Profar.

At +1,000 odds to win the Fall Classic, the Padres possess the most upside of any team with a legitimate possibility.

MLB Game of the Day

The Padres will attempt to creep within one game of the Dodgers in a Wednesday night contest at Dodger Stadium, and a good pitching matchup awaits.

On the mound for the Padres will be strikeout-machine Dylan Cease, who has punched out 220 batters in 184.1 innings pitched. The right-hander is one win shy of setting a career-high, sitting at 14-11 with a 3.42 ERA across 32 starts.

His counterpart will be Jack Flaherty, who will make his 10th start since he was acquired by the Dodgers at the MLB trade deadline. Combined between the Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers this season, Flaherty is 14-7 with a 3.10 ERA.

The Dodgers are the favorites at home, but only slightly. Dodgers money line can be had at -138 while you can take the Padres to win at +118. According to FanDuel’s research page, the Dodgers have a 55% chance of winning.