It might still be a bit early to start throwing predictions for the World Series, but if there’s something MLB betting fans should keep in mind is that now is the perfect time to pick a few early candidates to keep an eye on during the regular season. Now, getting favorable World Series odds doesn’t necessarily mean that they have an easier road to take the top prize in October.The World Series winners since 2010 were all at least 20-to-1 long shots in the offseason but no worse than 30-to-1 (2010 San Francisco Giants, 25-to-1, 2011 St Louis Cardinals, 20-to-1, 2012 San Francisco Giants, 20-to-1, 2013 Boston Red Sox, 28-to-1, 2014 San Francisco Giants, 20-to-1.)Since 2009, just one team won the championship after being installed as the preseason favorite: the 2009 New York Yankees. The following year the Yankees were again installed as the favorite (plus-325 on Feb. 15), but they lost in the AL Championship Series to the Texas Rangers.In 2011 the Phillies got the best odds, but they couldn’t make it past the eventual champion –the St. Louis Cardinals– in the NL Divisional Series. In 2012 the Phillies were again the preseason favorites but missed the playoffs completely, finishing in 3rd place of the NL East.In 2013, the Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers were all preseason favorites, but the Red Sox beat all predictions, beating the Cardinals in six games to become the second team to win the World Series one year after finishing last in their division — the first was the 1991 Minnesota Twins. History repeated itself last season when the Dodgers, the overall favorite to win the World Series, lost the NLDS in four games to the St. Louis Cardinals.Despite the stats and recent history, it may be possible to pick a few favorites based on their recent performance, offseason moves, latest acquisitions and team preparation. So let’s go over the list of favorites according to the latest MLB odds, starting with the most likely going down.
Taking a Look at the World Series Odds Favorites of 2015
1. Washington Nationals
World Series Odds: +250
Many will agree that Washington is so far the best team on paper. Throughout the NL, the Nats’ have proved that they have the nuts to conquer the toughest rivals and achieved stability in their team with very few notable weaknesses, which makes them the top favorite to win the 2015 World Series according to the MLB odds.Washington Nationals 2015 Season Preview: Not saying #WSOB, but… http://t.co/CVVXCyogWb— Nationals Daily (@NationalsDaily) March 16, 2015
The strength of the Washington Nationals lies in its superb rotation, which features an array of both young energetic players and the experienced lot who have seen just about anything in the league. Players such as Doug Fister, Tanner Roark, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg, and Scherzer provide unrivalled depth. In addition to their rotation, the Nats’ are playing in a division with too many weak points thanks to rebuilding teams, a situation that is likely to help them earn the wins needed to get to the postseason.