Astros Jump Ahead Of Dodgers, Yankees As 2019 World Series Favorites After MLB Trade Deadline

If the Houston Astros win the 2019 World Series in October, it might be safe to say that the team unofficially grabbed the championship on July 31. Houston was the biggest winner on the day of the MLB trade deadline, making a splash that has turned them into the title favorites.

The Astros acquired Zack Greinke from the Arizona Diamondbacks just as the deadline arrived. Perhaps just as important, the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees largely stood pat, causing a shift in the World Series betting odds.

The odds are slightly different at various sportsbooks, but Houston is the consensus World Series favorite. The Astros have 2/1 championship odds at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, putting them ahead of the Dodgers (3/1) and well in front of the Yankees (6/1). Houston’s +250 World Series odds at New Jersey’s FanDuel Sportsbook gives them the edge over Los Angeles (+290) and New York (+500).

The Astros and Dodgers are co-favorites at Bovada with +275 odds. The Yankees aren’t far behind with +350 odds at the online sportsbook.

Houston has the worst record of the three contenders. L.A. leads the majors with 71 wins, while New York is only 1.5 games behind the Dodgers in the overall MLB standings. The Astros are percentage points behind the Yankees for the No.1 seed in the AL.

By landing Greinke, Houston might be the team most equipped to win in the playoffs. That’s certainly the case in the AL, where the Astros easily have the best rotation. Greinke, Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are all better than any starter in the Yankees’ rotation.

The Yankees had been linked to Marcus Stroman and Trevor Bauer, but the starters were traded to the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds, respectively. Seemingly available starters like Mike Minor, Matthew Boyd and Robbie Ray stayed put. The Yankees either didn’t have the players to get a deal done or were unwilling to part with the prospects opposing teams were asking for.

The Dodgers have a rotation that can go toe-to-toe with the Astros. Hyun-Jin Ryu has the best ERA in baseball. Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler are both front-end starters.

It’s the Dodgers’ bullpen that could be to blame if L.A. manages to lose in the World Series for a third straight year. Kenley Jansen hasn’t been the dominant closer he once was. Los Angeles did acquire reliever Adam Kolarek from the Tampa Bay Rays, but they failed to land one of the top relievers available.

Shane Greene and his 1.18 ERA went to the Atlanta Braves, who might present the Dodgers with their biggest challenge in the NL. The Dodgers weren’t willing to meet the asking price for Pittsburgh Pirates’ closer Felipe Vazquez.

The Braves have the fourth-best World Series odds. They don’t even have 8/1 title odds at any of the aforementioned sportsbooks.