More World Series value among NL contenders

DraftKings is once again offering a special World Series futures bet. Last week we discussed which state the World Series winner will come out of, and today, we're going to dissect which league — the American League or National League — will win the World Series.

Before we get started, let's look at the odds for both leagues. Currently the NL is favored (-120), with the AL (+100) serving as the underdog. 

Despite the New York Yankees and Houston Astros both coasting through their respective divisions, the sportsbooks don't seem to view any other teams in the AL as legit World Series contenders. The Yankees and Astros are right around 4/1 to win the World Series, but the next favored team in the AL, the Toronto Blue Jays, is at 12/1.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers are favored across the board to win the World Series at around 3.5/1, followed by the New York Mets at 5.5/1. But you know who's not that far behind them? The reigning champs in the Atlanta Braves and the restocked San Diego Padres. Even though Atlanta got swept over the weekend by the Mets, the Braves are still 10/1 via DraftKings to win the World Series, with San Diego right behind at 11/1 via BetMGM.

What does that tell us? Outside of the two heavy favorites in each league, sportsbooks are higher on the NL than the AL. And don't sleep on St. Louis. The Cardinals have the MVP front-runner in Paul Goldschmidt, just swept the AL-best Yankees and have won seven straight.

Even before the Padres acquired closer Josh Hader from Milwaukee and first baseman Josh Bell and outfielder Juan Soto from Washington, the NL was the league to bet, but now it's even more clear to bet the NL with San Diego going all-in before the trade deadline.

The Padres don't have enough time to win the NL West, but they don't have to. They are currently the final seed for the NL Wild Card, and unless they are absolutely awful for the last 50 games of the season, the Friars are pretty much a lock for the postseason. The same thing goes for Atlanta. The Braves might not win the NL East, but they're pretty much a lock for the postseason too.  

Look out come playoff time for Atlanta and San Diego. Both teams mash offensively, plus have strong starting rotations and good enough bullpens to get meaningful outs late in games. Outside of the Yankees and Astros, no other team in the AL is really a threat to win the World Series. The AL Central is still completely up for grabs between Minnesota, Cleveland and Chicago, but none are a threat to win the World Series. Same goes for Tampa Bay, Seattle and the Blue Jays, which would currently be the three AL Wild Card teams if the season ended today. 

That's why betting the NL is the way to go. Bet now, because with the Yankees scuffling as of late, that line is likely to only drop from here on out. 

The Bet: A National League team to win the World Series (-120) via DraftKings

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Today's Bark Bets is written by Jared Shlensky