MLB World Series 2025 Odds and Predictions: Are the Dodgers Unstoppable?

Los Angeles Dodgers (+230)

As the favorites to win the World Series in 2024, the Dodgers defeated the Yankees in five games to capture their eighth title in franchise history. It’s usually difficult for squads to maintain their talent levels after a championship season.

It can be much harder to improve and become a better team. Well, the Dodgers appeared to be able to do just that. Find a breakdown of their pitching and lineup below:

Pitching Staff

Despite not having Shohei Ohtani in the starting rotation, the Dodgers’ pitching staff made it work a season ago. In addition to Ohtani only batting, rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto wasn’t up to par, and Clayton Kershaw only played in seven games.

Nevertheless, the Dodgers finished 13th in the Majors, with a team ERA of 3.90. The bullpen was in top-notch form, as they combined for a 3.53 ERA, good for fourth in baseball. If you were hoping that the Dodgers’ pitching would fall off this season, I have some bad news.

"You see Kershaw, that's crazy to me. That's like the coolest thing I think I've done in my career is pitching in front of him…"

Blake Snell reacts to his first #SpringTraining bullpen with the @Dodgers. pic.twitter.com/rUPDjHRVEc

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 12, 2025

On paper, the Dodgers should be even stronger than the 2024 campaign. I expect them to finish ahead of last season’s 13th overall ranking. Former Cy Young winner Blake Snell signed a five-year deal to join the Dodgers.

Also, coveted Japanese pitcher, Roki Sasaki, decided to follow his countrymen Ohtani and Yamamoto to Los Angeles. With Ohtani planning to pitch this season, the starting rotation is in great shape for the Dodgers. The bullpen should have another elite season as well, so look out in 2025!

Batting

The Dodgers have no shortage of heavy hitters in their lineup to punish opposing pitchers again this season. They finished fourth with a team batting average of .258. Additionally, the Dodgers were third in home runs and second in runs.

Ohtani was the catalyst for the Dodgers’ offense. He was unstoppable and became the first player in MLB history to join the 50-50 club, becoming the first to record 50+ home runs and 50+ steals.

Play No. 1 of 2024: "One-of-a-kind player, one-of-a-kind season!"

Shohei Ohtani goes 6-for-6 with 3 HR, 2 SB, 10 RBI and records the first 50/50 season in MLB history! pic.twitter.com/00mniHyAUx

— MLB (@MLB) December 17, 2024

He finished the season with a .310 average, 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, and 59 steals. If Ohtani remains healthy, there isn’t any reason to believe that he can’t do something similar. The Dodgers’ offense is likely to rank at the top of the Majors again this season.

Along with Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, and Mookie Betts are all returning for the Dodgers. Also, the franchise inked Teoscar Hernandez to a three-year, $66 million contract.

The Dodgers will have no problems putting runs up on the board this season, and their World Series 2025 odds certainly reflect that.

Atlanta Braves (+850)

The Atlanta Braves entered the 2024 campaign to win the World Series at +450. However, after getting dropped in the NL Wild Card, the Braves are down to +850 World Series odds. They only improved from the second-best price because of the injuries to the Yankees. 

Let’s check out if betting on the Braves to win the World Series is worth it this season:

Pitching Staff

The Braves lost a key member of their starting rotation in the offseason. Fried was lured to the Bronx by the Yankees, which removes one of their best options and depth.

Nevertheless, there is still plenty of talent here. Reynaldo Lopez had a career season, with an ERA of 1.99 and 1.11 WHIP in 26 starts. Also, lefty Chris Sale is coming off a Cy Young season in Atlanta. The pitcher posted a 2.38 ERA and 1.01 WHIP through 29 games.

Chris Sale wins his first career Cy Young Award 🏆

A resurgent year for the lefty 📈 pic.twitter.com/pFpM7JfNUU

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 20, 2024

Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach round out a pretty strong starting rotation in Atlanta. However, losing Fried is a big deal for the Braves.

Fried, Sale, and Lopez together were one of the most dominant rotations in baseball. Can Sale maintain his Cy Young form? It’s not a guarantee and the Braves absolutely need it.

Strider pitched in only two games due to requiring surgery on his elbow. He needs to snap back to form, while Schwellenbach must continue developing after a productive rookie season. The Braves’ rotation will be fine, but losing Fried doesn’t make them stronger.

Batting

There were bright spots for the Braves at the plate, but clutch hitting was often left to the wayside. Despite belting 213 home runs for fourth in the Major Leagues, the Braves were just 14th in RBIs.

The team’s .243 average was only 15th, so it was an entertaining team to watch for the fireworks, but they needed more base runners. Atlanta’s lineup remains relatively untouched from the 2024 season.

BIG fly from the BIG bear💣

𝟑𝟎𝐭𝐡 longball of the season. pic.twitter.com/TL8A1Z7Vvg

— Braves On FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSNBraves) July 27, 2024

They bring back the bulk of their offense. Top hitters Marcell Ozuna, Matt Olson, and Austin Riley are all in Atlanta for the 2025 season. This lineup has a ton of power and will be ranked among the best home run teams. However, Braves’ fans aren’t thrilled with the inactivity in the offseason.

The offense is moving sideways from a season ago, while the pitching staff said goodbye to Fried. You can never disregard the Braves — this is still a very strong baseball club regardless. Still, it’s hard to recommend them over the Dodgers for your 2025 World Series betting picks!

New York Yankees (+900)

The Yankees came three wins short of winning the 2024 World Series. They fell to the Dodgers in five games following capturing the AL East and ALCS title. Aaron Judge fell down, while the Dodgers’ bats rose to the top of the mountain. How will the Yankees respond in 2025? They’re going to have to do it without some key arms in their rotation. 

Check out the details for their upcoming campaign below:

Pitching Staff

The Yankees were expected to enter this season with some potent arms in the rotation. It took Gerrit Cole a minute to shake off a slow start last season, but heated up in the second half. Cole, however, will be absent all year after it was announced he requires Tommy John surgery.

Cole’s return to 2023 form was paramount to the Yankees’ success this season, but that’s a big blemish against them. Additionally, reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil is dealing with shoulder discomfort, which is likely to hold him out through the start of the season. This would have been a strong rotation with Cole, Gil, and the newly acquired Max Fried.

Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the 2025 season

Tough break for the Yankees 😔 pic.twitter.com/1Re83vnygz

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 10, 2025

However, Cole is done for the year, and Gil’s status is questionable. Carlos Rodon steps into a more prominent role in the Yankees’ rotation. He needs to step up and look more like the Cy Young candidate he was with the White Sox. 

After finishing seventh with a team ERA of 3.74 in 2024, the Yankees had room to improve on that number. With the injuries, though, it’s going to be difficult for the pitching staff to show strides forward in 2025.

Batting

The Yankees’ offense had plenty of pop in the batter’s box last season. They led the Major Leagues in home runs with 237 long balls. Additionally, they ranked second in RBIs, just ahead of the Dodgers with 815. The offense had a .248 batting average for ninth in Major League Baseball. They depended on the home run ball to score a huge chunk of their runs.

Aaron Judge rockets one over the left field wall 🚀 pic.twitter.com/zB8XRYFf1S

— MLB (@MLB) March 22, 2025

Of course, the Yankees’ success offensively comes down to Aaron Judge’s health. The same goes for Giancarlo Stanton, who is entering training camp with elbow soreness which could linger. Also, DJ LeMahieu will head into the 2025 season on the injury report with a calf injury. 

After losing Juan Soto, the Yankees signed Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger in the offseason. This provides the Yankees with added depth, and improved defense. Goldschmidt is a four-time Gold Glove winner at first base, so this is a solid add for the Yankees.

Cody Bellinger continues to MASH baseballs🤯 pic.twitter.com/9ND3dJOsEk

— MLB (@MLB) March 19, 2025

If Stanton and LeMahieu can re-join the starting lineup, the Yankees’ offense will be in fine shape. And, as long as Judge remains healthy, they are always going to have a dangerous threat to put multiple runs on the board in an instant. Nevertheless, there are question marks here as well for the Yankees in 2025.