Peeking at WS odds with latest Power Rankings

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Memorial Day weekend is winding down, and it’s an unofficial kick-off to summer. The latest edition of the Power Rankings has been revealed and as always, we look at where these teams stand on DraftKings Sportsbook to win it all. Who shot up the ranks? Who is plummeting?! Let’s take a peek.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Power Ranking: 1st (last week: 2nd)
World Series Odds: +425

It’s likely the Yankees and Dodgers are going to flip-flop often this season. Last week, the Yankees held the top spot but then went 3-4 in series against the Orioles and Rays. The offense also took a step back, as the Yankees averaged just 3.5 runs over those seven games. Meanwhile, the Dodgers had the luxury of beating up on the Nationals and D-backs, going a combined 6-1 while averaging 6.4 runs per game, even after being shut out in the one loss.

The odds on DraftKings Sportsbook for these two teams have yet to really shift, and taking the Dodgers at +425 is still an enticing number for me. With the Dodgers on pace for just under 100 wins, they still hold the best chance of taking the entire thing this season. The .702 winning percentage was the best in the league entering Monday -- 14 points better than the Yankees, who had played one more game than the Dodgers. Things will get a bit tougher coming up. After this series against the Pirates, Los Angeles will face four straight teams with a .500-or-better record: the Mets, White Sox, Giants and Angels. It’s a level of competition not seen often by these Dodgers this season, as they’re 6-1 against teams above .500. That is the least number of games played against teams over .500 in MLB. It's through no fault of their own, but an interesting note nonetheless. Even if the Dodgers skid a bit here, they’ve given themselves a decent lead in the NL West.

San Diego Padres
Power Ranking: 5th (last week 8th)
World Series Odds: +1500

Moving into the top five, finally, is the Padres. While the proper respect has been given to them in our Power Rankings, the disrespect CONTINUES to show on DraftKings Sportsbook. Sit back and think about this for a moment: The Padres -- who entered Monday only three games back of the Dodgers, 13 games above .500 and with a +27 run differential -- are the same odds as the Braves (15-1). Now don’t get me wrong, I like that Atlanta team, but it's not even on the same level as the Padres. The Braves are in second in the NL East, but they are under .500, entered Monday with a minus-11 run differential, and are just 14-14 at home this season. They’re on pace for 88 wins. That could be good enough to get the Braves into the playoffs, but they shouldn’t be the same odds as San Diego.

Back to the Padres, who have been really riding the backs of their starters. They entered Monday with a 3.20 ERA, a 3.44 FIP, 9.1 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9. This has been a huge reason for their early success, as opposing teams are averaging just 3.7 runs per game. Across the Majors, that’s fifth lowest. I’ve mentioned it before, but finding this success before getting back Fernando Tatis Jr. is a huge win for this club. He’ll solidify the heart of that lineup and give an even bigger boost to this offense. These odds are going to fall soon, and I would hate to be the one who missed out. Grab them at 15-1 while you can.

San Francisco Giants
Power Ranking: 12th (last week 7th)
World Series Odds: +2500

Of the teams to fall in the rankings, the Giants take a significant dive out of the top 10, falling five spots to 12th. A very tough and frustrating week was had by this club, which only came away with three wins through six games against the Mets and Reds. Shockingly, the Reds were able to take two out of three against San Francisco, and they’ve been one of the worst clubs in the league. It wasn’t even because of the hitting, as the Giants slashed .278/.355/.502 with 34 runs scored. It was the starting rotation, which produced an uncharacteristic 4.58 ERA over 34 innings this past week. To be fair, the Giants seemingly got a bit unlucky, as accompanying that ERA is a 3.61 FIP. Nonetheless, they rightfully fell in our rankings and in the World Series odds.

The next week or so is a bit of a mixed bag for the Giants. They’ll continue a series against the Phillies and then wrap up against the Marlins. The Giants have had moderate success against the NL East, going 9-7. If anything, it’s been their own division that’s given them fits, as the Giants are just 7-7 against the NL West. I have no doubt this team will get back on track, but as it stands, I don’t think this is a World Series-winning club, even at 25-1.

Boston Red Sox
Power Ranking: 13th (last week 21st)
World Series Odds: +4500

The Red Sox take the biggest jump of the week, jumping out of the bottom of the ranks to 13th. This club has enjoyed one heck of a month and looks to end it on a high note. After being one of the worst-scoring clubs in the league during April, the Red Sox look to end May with the second-most runs scored, trailing only the Dodgers. This team is hitting just under .300 for the MONTH, slashing .292/.356/.496 and striking out only 19.8% of the time. Granted, the emergence of Trevor Story didn’t hurt either, as he hit nine home runs, knocked in 32 runs, and scored 19. This team is humming along but has a lot of work to do to gain ground on the Yankees, who are 10 games ahead of Boston.

I’m not looking for the Red Sox to take over the AL East. Not saying it’s impossible, but between the Yankees and a Rays team that is nine games over .500, it’s a very tall task. The only positive working in the Red Sox’s favor is the Blue Jays. They have snapped off five straight wins, but Toronto is still underperforming at this point. Despite being 27-20, the Jays have a minus-1 run differential, which gives them an expected record of 23-24. The Red Sox, at +17 run differential, have an expected record of 27-21. With the Sox surging and an appealing schedule coming up against the Reds and Athletics, 45-1 odds is quite the treat as we head into June.

Seattle Mariners
Power Ranking: 21st (last week 15th)
World Series Odds: +11000

Taking another big slide on the list are the Mariners. I’ve been a big believer in this team, but man, have they made it hard on themselves. For a team that had favorable odds to win the division before Opening Day, the Mariners have fallen to 25-1 odds in the AL West as well. Is there any hope for this team to turn it around? It’s still early in the year, but many feel that it's looking as bleak as ever.

Despite a busy offseason that included acquiring Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suárez from the Reds and signing the reigning AL Cy Young winner in Robbie Ray, this team finds themselves eight games under .500 and 10 1/2 games back in the division. If there was ever a time for this team to pounce, however, it’s this week. The Mariners have series this week with the Orioles and Rangers, both under .500. The problem is, these games are on the road, where the Mariners are just 8-18 on the season. They simply need to do better away from Seattle. Perhaps facing two teams who struggle with pitching can finally do the trick. The Mariners have been hitting it hard at opposing defenders often, and at some point, that’s going to change. The team owns an xBA of .255 while hitting .237 on the season. Against two clubs that average less than a strikeout per inning, perhaps this is where the Mariners can start making some noise.

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