All of the 30 Major League Baseball teams are now well into their seasons with teams playing close to 40 games and we can see the playoff picture slowly starting to take shape. So with that in mind, who are the teams who are considered underdogs to win the 2021 World Series title?
The sidelines.io betting comparison platform has the LA Dodgers at +340 and the New York Yankees +700 as the two favorites to take home the World Series. However, betting on those teams will not win you back much money, so who are the underdogs that could take it to both the Dodgers and Yankees should they qualify for the postseason?
Tampa Bay Rays +2000
At the time of writing, the Rays are looking good to win the AL East and their play over the last few weeks, particularly their 10-5 record during May, reflects that. As an underdog, the Rays have been remarkably consistent this season. Their current odds to return to the playoffs are of great value considering what they were at the start of the season. The Tampa Bay Rays are currently +2000 to win the World Series on bettingpros.com. While for the Rays to win their conference, the odds are considerably better at +700 so there is definitely some value if you choose to go with Tampa Bay.
While some of the MLB experts are constantly looking at Tampa’s losing performances during their AL East title run, it is important to keep in mind that in 2019, they made the playoffs with 96 wins, so they are more than capable.
Oakland Athletics +2500
The A’s won the AL West in what was a shortened season last year. Down the stretch, they had a record of 36-24 in the regular season and in doing so, made the postseason for the third consecutive time.
There are currently ten teams who have better odds than Oakland to win the World Series. The Dodgers at +350 are the clear favorites, closely followed by the Yankees at +550. With their odds of +2500, the A’s probability percentage of winning the World Series is at 3.85%, so you could stand to win a nice chunk of change should you take the A’s as an underdog for the World Series title.
Chicago Cubs +4000
The next underdog team to bet on is the Chicago Cubs. They entered the season as the defending NL Central champions as they finished the year with a 34-26 record. In doing so, the Cubs made the postseason for the fifth time in the last six years which is a good achievement.
At +4000, the Cubs are considered to be in the middle of the field when it comes to winning the 2021 World Series. At this stage, the Cubs have a series-winning probability of 2.44%. That might seem ridiculously low, but with players like Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, and Kris Bryant, a small wager on the Cubs at +4000 is thought by many to be a risk that is worth taking.
