Los Angeles Dodgers Are NL Favorites Over Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies

The Los Angeles Dodgers needed more than 162 games to win the division, but that hasn’t prevented them from being the 2018 World Series favorites in the National League. Ahead of their NLDS matchup with the Atlanta Braves, L.A. has the best betting odds to win the NL pennant.

With +160 odds to reach the Fall Classic for a second straight year, the Dodgers are ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers, who have the NL’s best record and home-field advantage until the World Series. Atlanta has worse than 4/1 NL pennant odds and the Colorado Rockies’ odds are worse than 5/1.

Los Angeles defeated Colorado Monday afternoon in a tiebreaker for the NL West crown. The Dodgers have now won six consecutive division titles. L.A. won 104 games last year and made the World Series for the first time in 29 years.

Winning 92 games this season gives the Dodgers home-field advantage in the NLDS. They defeated the Braves in five of seven head-to-head meetings during the regular season.

Clayton Kershaw will start the Dodgers’ first playoff game Thursday. The left-hander was limited to 161.1 innings this season, going 9-5 with a 2.73 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. Los Angeles had a league-high 3.38 ERA. Milwaukee is the closest NL playoff team with a 3.73 ERA. Atlanta had a 3.75 ERA.

The Dodgers also led the NL in runs scored as the only team in the league to surpass the 800-run mark. Los Angeles was first with 235 home runs with seven players hitting over 20 homers.

After falling just short last year, the Dodgers were aggressive at the trade deadline. They gave up five prospects for Manny Machado and acquired Brian Dozier from the Minnesota Twins. Machado’s offensive production took a dip when he joined Los Angeles, posting a .825 OPS in 66 games compared to his .962 OPS with the Baltimore Orioles. Dozier hit just .182 in 47 games.

L.A. has reached the NLCS in two straight years. Milwaukee was last there when they were defeated by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011. Colorado won the 2007 NLCS before being swept by the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. Atlanta hasn’t won a playoff series since 2001, going 0-6 in the NLDS since then.

A World Series featuring the Dodgers and the Red Sox has the best odds of any potential matchup, according to OddsShark.