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2021 World Series odds: Looking for value in a crowded field

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The baseball itch is already coming back just a couple of weeks after the 2020 season concluded.

With rumors swirling prior to a likely busy offseason, there's an opportunity for bettors to get ahead of the curve and submit their futures tickets early.

Let's look at the initial 2021 World Series odds, and try to find value before the flurry of offseason activity begins.

Team Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers +500
New York Yankees +500
Atlanta Braves +1000
Tampa Bay Rays +1000
Chicago White Sox +1200
San Diego Padres +1200
Houston Astros +1500
Minnesota Twins +1500
Cleveland Indians +2000
Oakland Athletics +2000
Chicago Cubs +2200
Cincinnati Reds +2200
St. Louis Cardinals +2500
Philadelphia Phillies +3000
New York Mets +3500
Los Angeles Angels +4000
Washington Nationals +4000
Toronto Blue Jays +4500
Boston Red Sox +5000
Milwaukee Brewers +5000
Arizona Diamondbacks +6000
Miami Marlins +6000
Colorado Rockies +7500
San Francisco Giants +7500
Baltimore Orioles +8000
Texas Rangers +9000
Detroit Tigers +10000
Kansas City Royals +10000
Seattle Mariners +10000
Pittsburgh Pirates +15000

Los Angeles Dodgers (+500)

Don't waste your time here. While the Dodgers are strong candidates to repeat now that the monkey is off their back, these odds are far too short.

Even if the Dodgers rip through the regular season and claim the NL's top seed, they'll still be offered at around +350 to start the playoffs, a wager that eliminates the risk for bettors of players suffering major injuries during a lengthy campaign.

If you want skin on the Dodgers, there will be much better times to buy into them. The same goes for the Yankees, a team constantly riddled with injuries.

Chicago White Sox (+1200)

Entering the 2020 season, the White Sox (+2000) were a popular futures-market sleeper pick. Bettors were a year early filling the bandwagon, but current odds of +1200 ahead of 2021 are a clear indictment of Chicago's ability to take another step toward contention.

The White Sox boast a young core that's locked in place, with Yoan Moncada primed for a bounce-back season, while Eloy Jimenez, Tim Anderson, and Luis Robert should ascend toward stardom. Pitching depth hurt the White Sox in the postseason, but the return of Michael Kopech and the progression of Dane Dunning and Dylan Cease, behind ace Lucas Giolito, now set the stage for a special season on the south side of Chicago.

New York Mets (+3500)

An exciting new era is on the horizon for the Mets, along with what's sure to be an exciting first offseason under new owner Steve Cohen, who boldly said "this is a major-market team and should have a budget commensurate with that."

Cohen is ready to devote resources to building a championship roster. While the timeline for this team to contend remains murky, there might not be a better time to buy in if he's indeed planning a spending spree this winter, when there are lots of high-profile players on the market. With a solid foundation already, it's reasonable to expect the Mets to contend as early as 2021.

Toronto Blue Jays (+4500)

The Blue Jays could be the 2021 season's version of the 2020 White Sox. It's a year early to grab them, but it's hard to look away at +4000.

They've stockpiled young talent, with Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Nate Pearson headlining an impressive core. That's not quite enough to get Toronto into the World Series conversation, but general manager Ross Atkins is reportedly taking an aggressive approach to the offseason.

Free agents George Springer and Trevor Bauer have already been linked to the Blue Jays, who are also listed among the potential suitors for Francisco Lindor. If Atkins can bolster the club's rotation while adding another bat to the heart of the lineup, Toronto would be well-positioned to contend in a very tough AL East.

Arizona Diamondbacks (+6000)

The 2020 season was disastrous for the Diamondbacks, who took a major step back amid playoff expectations. Arizona bettors may be scarred after last year, but there's a great buy-low window for the team ahead of 2021.

There's no logical explanation for Ketel Marte's surprising regression, and now he should return closer to his 2019 form while leading a still very strong lineup. Zac Gallen is a legitimate Cy Young candidate, and Luke Weaver is a lot better than his 2020 stat line suggests.

There's money for Arizona to spend, too, and with all of its core under contract for this season, earning a playoff berth is possible. This number should be closer to +4000, so we're getting excellent value here.

(Odds source: theScore Bet)

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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