Sportsbooks have installed the Los Angeles Dodgers as the favorites over the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series.
After the Dodgers finished off the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, sportsbook operator William Hill U.S. made the Dodgers -210 favorites to beat the Rays in the series, which begins Tuesday. By Monday morning, the consensus price to bet the Dodgers had settled at -195, with the underdog Rays fetching +165 odds.
When the revised season was announced in June, the Dodgers were listed as co-favorites with the New York Yankees to win the World Series. The Dodgers remained at the top of oddsboards throughout the abbreviated regular season and have been the betting favorite in every game, including in the postseason. They became the eighth team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a league championship series and are now headed to the franchise's 21st World Series.
While the Dodgers have been wire-to-wire favorites, the Rays have been underdogs from the beginning. Tampa Bay entered the regular season as a midtier contender in sportsbooks' eyes, with 18-1 odds to win the World Series. The Rays could be found as long as 30-1 as the playoffs began. They overcame the odds, though, knocking off the Yankees and the Houston Astros along the way to reach the franchise's second World Series.
Entering the playoffs, the Dodgers had attracted 26% of the money wagered on the odds to win the World Series at William Hill. The Rays had attracted less than 3% of the money.
The Dodgers are around -170 favorites over the Rays in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday.