With more than one-third of the 2019 MLB season in the books, the top contenders for the World Series are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the league. Five of the 30 teams in the majors have a winning percentage north of .600, though a couple are given a much better chance to win the Fall Classic.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the clear World Series favorites. They’ve got eight more wins than any National League team after winning the pennant in each of the last two years.

The Houston Astros are given the best World Series odds in the American League. The 2017 champs lead the AL in wins and have already begun to run away and hide atop the division.

Houston is actually a half-game in the overall standings behind the Minnesota Twins, who own the best record in baseball. Minnesota is just one percentage point ahead of L.A.

Maybe the Dodgers and Astros are the most likely teams to meet in the World Series. They don’t exactly make for good bets since they are the only teams with better than 4/1 championships odds.

Where should you put your money if you want to make an early World Series wager?

The New York Yankees provide much more value than either than Dodgers or Astros. While the Bronx Bombers are also among the favorites, their 11/2 odds offer a much better return on your investment.

The Astros have the advantage of playing in a weak division. New York has to contend with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

Boston remains dangerous, but New York has a comfortable 8.5-game lead over their rivals. Tampa Bay is 2.5 games out of first place. The Yankees have beaten the Rays and Red Sox a combined eights times in 11 tries with some of their best players on the injured list.

New York will soon get a few All-stars back in their lineup. They are pursuing of Dallas Keuchel and potentially another starter through a trade, making the Yankees just as much of a threat as the Astros to win the AL pennant.

It remains to be seen if Minnesota (7/1) can keep this up for 162 games. They are the fourth and final team with better than 10/1 odds because of their massive lead in the division. The Twins are 11.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.

Six teams have World Series odds that range from 13/1 to 18/1. The Chicago Cubs at 17/1 stand out as the best bet in that group.

You’ve got teams like the Philadelphia Phillies (13/1) and Red Sox (16/1) that have better odds than the Cubs but really aren’t any more likely to make the playoffs. Philadelphia is only a half-game better than the Atlanta Braves (18/1) in the NL East. Boston is a game out of the second AL Wild-Card spot.

Tampa Bay (14/1) has a five-game lead on Boston. Chicago is only a game behind the Milwaukee Brewers (16/1) in the NL Central.

The Cubs have been among the best teams in baseball after getting off to a 3-8 start. Chicago’s bullpen, which was historically bad in the first two weeks of the season, now has the third-best ERA in the NL.

The top of Chicago’s lineup features three stars. The rotation is anchored by pitchers that have big-game experience. With so many key members of the 2016 championship team still on the roster, the Cubs will be incredibly dangerous if they make the postseason.

Los Angeles certainly has a better chance to win the World Series than Chicago. They aren't more than six times as likely to win the title, which is what the odds suggest.

CC Sabathia Yankees
CC Sabathia #52 of the New York Yankees walks back to the dugout at the end of the first inning against the Boston Red Sox during Game Four American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 09, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Elsa/Getty Images
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