by Wayne Root
Friday, Mar 27, 2026Los Angeles Dodgers (2025 Season Record: 93-69)
I, Harvard Hollis Barnhart, was at opening day at the Coliseum in 1958 when the Dodgers lost to the Giants. Since then I root hard for the Dodgers and WAR all over the Yankees. I rarely bet on either. The Dodgers haven’t just won back-to-back World Series titles; they’ve been one of baseball’s most consistent winners for nearly two decades. Since 2006, they’ve had only one losing season and have captured the National League West in 12 of the past 13 years.
The Dodgers’ ownership group clearly prioritizes winning, as evidenced by their massive $400 million payroll.I think the NY Yankees have minimalized their payroll. This is bad for baseball. It takes wagering on them nearly impossible.
Of course, success on the field tends to translate into financial rewards, so it’s no surprise that has made the Dodgers the betting favorite at +220 odds. But at +220, the oddsmakers have made it unbeatable. There are too many variables that can get in the way. Injuries come to mind first.
Their roster is stacked with talent, including 2025 All-Stars Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith, along with stars like Mookie Betts and Max Muncy. They also strengthened the lineup by signing top free agent masher Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million deal. But the upgrades didn’t stop there. Los Angeles added All-Star closer Edwin Díaz in the offseason and already features one of the game’s top pitchers in Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The roster might be the strongest ever assembled but it’s not an automatic bet. In fact, it’s rarely worth betting on LA because of the juice involved. I’ll bet them on the road but even that’s tricky. The oddsmakers don’t want you to bet on them.
Consider last year:
93 wins x $100 = 9,300
69 losses x $-150 =-9,660 and you booked a losing season. I feel like it’s a waste of time to bet LA. So I don’t. But many sports bettors do. And they lose most years.
Shohei Ohtani is a generational talent who could be the greatest baseball player of all time. That statement borders on blasphemous when reflecting on the pantheon of superstars across the ages. But is he worth laying-230 on his average start?
Ohtani captured his fourth MVP Award in the last five seasons, and reports are circulating that he is intent on locking up a Cy Young Award this season. But from a betting perspective, who wants to lay -200 to -260? You have to win three games for every -200 favorite you lose to get even. This roster is loaded, and the pitching may have even improved from last season. The world champions are expected to win over 100 MLB games and are gunning for a three-peat. The oddsmakers believe they have what it takes to get the job done, and only injury and apathy stand in their way.
This is a team that also has a track record of success after winning the last two World Series titles. A potent lineup coupled with elite pitching an
is a winning combination but without a betting system that’s fair is precisely what the Dodgers possess. And with all of that, I still can’t bet the Dodgers for the most part of the season.
I, Harvard Hollis Barnhart, was at opening day at the Coliseum in 1958 when the Dodgers lost to the Giants. Since then I root hard for the Dodgers and WAR all over the Yankees. I rarely bet on either. The Dodgers haven’t just won back-to-back World Series titles; they’ve been one of baseball’s most consistent winners for nearly two decades. Since 2006, they’ve had only one losing season and have captured the National League West in 12 of the past 13 years.
The Dodgers’ ownership group clearly prioritizes winning, as evidenced by their massive $400 million payroll.I think the NY Yankees have minimalized their payroll. This is bad for baseball. It takes wagering on them nearly impossible.
Of course, success on the field tends to translate into financial rewards, so it’s no surprise that has made the Dodgers the betting favorite at +220 odds. But at +220, the oddsmakers have made it unbeatable. There are too many variables that can get in the way. Injuries come to mind first.
Their roster is stacked with talent, including 2025 All-Stars Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith, along with stars like Mookie Betts and Max Muncy. They also strengthened the lineup by signing top free agent masher Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million deal. But the upgrades didn’t stop there. Los Angeles added All-Star closer Edwin Díaz in the offseason and already features one of the game’s top pitchers in Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The roster might be the strongest ever assembled but it’s not an automatic bet. In fact, it’s rarely worth betting on LA because of the juice involved. I’ll bet them on the road but even that’s tricky. The oddsmakers don’t want you to bet on them.
Consider last year:
93 wins x $100 = 9,300
69 losses x $-150 =-9,660 and you booked a losing season. I feel like it’s a waste of time to bet LA. So I don’t. But many sports bettors do. And they lose most years.
Shohei Ohtani is a generational talent who could be the greatest baseball player of all time. That statement borders on blasphemous when reflecting on the pantheon of superstars across the ages. But is he worth laying-230 on his average start?
Ohtani captured his fourth MVP Award in the last five seasons, and reports are circulating that he is intent on locking up a Cy Young Award this season. But from a betting perspective, who wants to lay -200 to -260? You have to win three games for every -200 favorite you lose to get even. This roster is loaded, and the pitching may have even improved from last season. The world champions are expected to win over 100 MLB games and are gunning for a three-peat. The oddsmakers believe they have what it takes to get the job done, and only injury and apathy stand in their way.
This is a team that also has a track record of success after winning the last two World Series titles. A potent lineup coupled with elite pitching an
is a winning combination but without a betting system that’s fair is precisely what the Dodgers possess. And with all of that, I still can’t bet the Dodgers for the most part of the season.
