The Oakland Athletics have lost a little steam over the past few weeks and find themselves in a dogfight with the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West division standings, and that has them now sitting in a tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best odds to win the 2014 World Series.
World Series futures: Dodgers, Athletics top baseball title odds listings
California teams remain atop World Series futures heading into the final month of the season.
USA TODAY Sports
The Athletics close out the month of August tied with the Dodgers at a line of 11/2. Oakland has lost its division lead to the Angels, and the Dodgers continue to hold off the San Francisco Giants in the NL West. Oakland, however, is still the runaway leader in run differential in the American League, and is still in contention to post the top overall record in the Junior Circuit this year.
The Washington Nationals have the biggest division lead in the National League with the month of August winding down, and they're third at 13/2 on the latest title lines at most sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. Washington's closest competitors in the NL East, the Atlanta Braves, are well back at 28/1 on those baseball futures, and the Miami Marlins are at 150/1.
The Milwaukee Brewers lead the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Central standings, and they're at 14/1. The Cardinals, however, are right on the Brewers' heels in that division race and are actually ahead of them in World Series odds at 12/1, while Pittsburgh is a longer shot at 40/1 odds.
The Giants, competing for a wild card berth in the National League, are sitting at 18/1, and the Cincinnati Reds are fading in the race and sit at 150/1.
The Angels are set at 7/1 while they try to claim the AL West division title for themselves over the final month of the regular season, and the Baltimore Orioles have the lead in the AL East race and sit tied with the Detroit Tigers at 15/2. The Tigers have been getting a surprising challenge from the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central division race, and KC is pegged at 14/1 on the futures chart at OddsShark.com.
Competing for a wild card berth in the American League, the Seattle Mariners are at 20/1, and the New York Yankees are at 40/1, the Cleveland Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays at 66/1, and the Tampa Bay Rays are trying for a late charge at 200/1. Updated World Series futures are available here and will change after the waiver trade deadline this weekend.
