The MLB All-Star break is a little bit more than halfway through the
season, giving baseball bettors an opportunity to size up the top contenders
and make additional future wagers on what teams they think have a shot at getting
to and winning the 2015 World Series. The National League Central-leading St.
Louis Cardinals (56-33) own MLB's best record and are one of three teams
sitting at 6/1 to win the World Series behind the American League
Central-leading Kansas City Royals (52-33), who are the 9/2 favorites at the
Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook. The NL's Los Angeles Dodgers (51-39) and
Washington Nationals (48-39) are also each listed at 6/1.
The Cardinals and Royals could end up meeting in the World Series for the
first time in 30 years - which is the last time Kansas City won it - and a lot
has obviously happened since their last MLB championship matchup in 1985. The
Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants have both won three World Series while
the New York Yankees lead all teams with five during that stretch, including
three straight from 1998-2000. St. Louis has also won twice since then, tied
with the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays and Florida Marlins for the
third-most titles over that period.
But jumping back to this season, the Cardinals are also 3/1 to win the NL
pennant along with the Dodgers and Nationals, but there is another team from
their own division that they may need to worry about down the stretch and in
the postseason. The Pittsburgh Pirates are 4/1 to win the pennant and 8/1 to
win the World Series, and they have the second-most wins in baseball right now.
Pittsburgh also just took three of four from St. Louis before the break to pull
within three games of the lead in the NL Central.
Keep in mind, San Francisco and Kansas City were Wild Card teams last
year before playing their dramatic seven-game World Series that saw the Giants
outlast the Royals behind MVP Madison Bumgarner. Dating back to 2002, a Wild
Card team has won the World Series five times in 13 years with the Marlins the
only other team to accomplish that feat before then in 1997.
Some more teams that could be a factor as Wild Cards this year include
San Francisco (46-43), the Chicago Cubs (47-40) and New York Mets (47-42) in
the NL and the Minnesota Twins (49-40) and Houston Astros (49-42) in the AL. Of
that group, the Cubs have the lowest odds to win the World Series at 16/1
followed by the Giants (20/1), Mets (20/1), Twins (25/1) and Astros (25/1).
Click here to
get Don Best Desktop Odds and track updated World Series future odds and more.