National League West Betting Odds: Are The Dodgers Favored Ahead Of The Diamondbacks And Rockies?

After reaching Game 7 of the World Series, many baseball experts pegged the Los Angeles Dodgers (67-60) as the National League's team to beat in 2018. However, the Dodgers failed to establish themselves as a clear frontrunner in the first half of the season and adding star infielders Manny Machado and Brian Dozier before the trade deadline has done little to reverse the Dodgers' fortunes in what has mostly been an uninspiring season — one in which the Arizona Diamondbacks (70-56) and Colorado Rockies (68-57) have exceeded expectations.

A remedy for the World Series hangover appeared to arrive with Machado and Dozier, who were inserted into the lineup to essentially make up for the loss of Corey Seager to injury and Logan Forsythe's hitting woes. There was also a sense of optimism with the return of Justin Turner, who has started regularly in August after missing most of the season.

But Dave Roberts' squad would go on to lose some tight games when facing tough competition. The downturn began on July 29, when the Dodgers had their three-game winning streak snapped by the Atlanta Braves (70-55) as part of a stretch of 14 losses in 22 games. It mostly came down to the Dodgers bullpen failing to close out games, falling to the Rockies in one-run defeats in three of four games in Denver.

The slump has many wondering if the Dodgers are suddenly National League underdogs and possibly at risk of missing the postseason entirely. Los Angeles is currently in third place in the West behind the Diamondbacks and Rockies, while owning just the eighth-best record in the league.

But don't count the Dodgers out just yet, say Las Vegas oddsmakers. Two out of three betting sites featured by OddsShark still favor the Dodgers to win the West. Los Angeles is listed at -220 by 5Dimes, while TopBet.eu gives the Dodgers +120 odds. Betting site MyBookie has the Diamondbacks edging the Dodgers, though not by much — Arizona has +120 odds and Los Angeles has +130 odds.

The Rockies are considered longshots by 5Dimes at +825. TopBet lists the Rockies at +250 and MyBookie have them at +160.

Meanwhile, oddsmakers still like the Dodgers' chances of reaching the World Series. Only the Chicago Cubs (71-53) have better odds than the Dodgers to advance out of the National League, according to VegasInsider.com. Chicago is listed at 9/4, while Los Angeles is at 18/5.

A reason for the positive Dodgers' outlook could be their relatively weak schedule. In the next two weeks, Los Angeles will travel to face the Texas Rangers (56-72) for two games and have a homestand against the New York Mets (55-70). The Dodgers will also have a three-game road trip against the Cincinnati Reds (56-70).

The pitching staff may also soon welcome back phenom Julio Urias. In a rehab start Tuesday for Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga, the 22-year-old struck out five in his 2.1 innings.