© Isaiah J. Downing | 2021 Sep 6
They’ve had the best record in the majors for nearly the entire season. They just took two of three from the Dodgers despite not having a starting pitcher in two of those games. And, yet, the Giants are still not getting a whole lot of respect from the oddsmakers in Vegas.
San Francisco is the third most likely team to represent the National League in the Fall Classic according to the latest odds from the FOX Bet Sportsbook. The Dodgers are the most likely to win the National League at +125 (a $100 bet would win you back your money plus $125). The Milwaukee Brewers and their two Cy Young candidates are second at +320. In third is the Giants, at +500, or 5 to 1 odds to make it to the World Series.
Here are the current odds for teams to win the National League, according to @FOXBet ?? pic.twitter.com/d4H88u318B
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 7, 2021
The Dodgers being in first is not all that surprising. They have one of the best lineups in baseball history, and recently added Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to their roster. Their +224 run differential is the best in baseball by a significant margin.
The Brewers case is a tougher one. They are a below average team at the plate, their team OPS of .718 good for 18th in the majors. They do, however, have two Cy Young hopefuls in Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes, and one of the best closers in baseball in Josh Hader. A top heavy pitching staff can be a significant advantage in a playoff series, when you could conceivably see Woodruff and Burnes a combined four times during a seven-game series.
Milwaukee is also a lock to win the division, making their path potentially easier if the Giants can’t win the NL West.
The Giants also recently dropped three of four to the Brewers, losing to both Woodruff and Burnes, as their rotation dealt with a number of injury issues.