The Washington Nationals have been on a run in the past week and are sitting in first place in the NL East standings. And the Nationals are one of three teams that sit as the top favorites to win the World Series in 2015.
Baseball Betting Futures: Nationals sitting atop odds to win World Series
The Washington Nationals, Kansas City Royals, and Los Angeles Dodgers lead the pack of contenders at the online sportsbooks to win the World Series in 2015.
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Washington is going off at 7/1 on the odds to win the World Series at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Bryce Harper's breakout season offensively has led the way to the Nationals ranking second in the National League with over 4.4 runs per game. And with a pitching staff led by Max Scherzer, Jordan Zimmermann and Stephen Strasburg, Washington is a well-rounded contender.
Right behind the Nationals on the betting board are the Kansas City Royals and the Los Angeles Dodgers at 15/2 each. Like Washington, Los Angeles has an excellent pitching staff led by Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke and a strong offense that averages over 4.2 runs per game. Kansas City has the best record in the American League and valuable playoff experience after last year's run to the World Series.
Through the first 70 games of the season, the best team in the majors has been the St. Louis Cardinals with a 46-24 record. Even without Adam Wainwright, the Cardinals continue to dominate on the mound and are going off at 8/1 on the odds to win the World Series at the sportsbooks.
The San Francisco Giants have won the World Series three times in the last five years, and they could be in the mix again this season at 11/1. The Giants are locked in a tight race with the Dodgers in the NL West. The Chicago Cubs (12/1) and Pittsburgh Pirates (14/1) are also potential contenders in the National League.
Five of the top six teams on the World Series betting board are in the National League, with the Royals having emerged as the clear betting favorite in the American League. Other teams in the AL that are considered contenders to win the World Series include the Detroit Tigers (14/1), Houston Astros (16/1), New York Yankees (20/1) and Tampa Bay Rays (22/1). The Astros were at 50/1 to win the World Series before the season began.
