It’s not very often that the defending National League champions are such severe underdogs in their own division the season after reaching the World Series.
However, that is the case for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have to deal with the loaded Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
As we get ready for Opening Day 2024, let’s dig into the latest NL West odds and pick out our best bets to win the division.
NL West Winner Odds 2024
MLB odds used for these best bets are from Friday, March 15, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Los Angeles Dodgers (-450)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (+850)
- San Diego Padres (+1100)
- San Francisco Giants (+1300)
- Colorado Rockies (+20000)
NL West Winner Best Bet
Los Angeles Dodgers (-450)
The Dodgers have won 10 of the last 11 division titles, so it’s pretty clear that the NL West runs through Los Angeles.
But after getting swept in the NLDS by the rival Diamondbacks — their third consecutive first-round exit from the postseason — the Dodgers spent big this offseason to show that their ambition lays well beyond another division title.
- See where the Dodgers sit in the latest World Series odds.
Landing reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani for a cool $700 million ($680 million of which will be deferred until 2034-2043) was a statement of intent for the franchise, which has won just one World Series title during this decade of dominance.
LA also traded for Tyler Glasnow from the Rays and signing prized free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto to inject much-needed life into the starting rotation, which will include Ohtani in 2025 once he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
The Dodgers’ roster is loaded from top to bottom, so retaining the division title shouldn’t be too much of a challenge.
[pick id="178000"]
NL West Winner Sleeper Pick
Arizona Diamondbacks (+800)
The Diamondbacks were the surprise of the 2023 National League postseason, sweeping the Brewers and Dodgers before wining the pennant over the Phillies in seven games.
However, it’s easy to forget that Arizona won just 84 games during the regular season — finishing 16 games behind the Dodgers in the division standings — and only earned the final wild-card spot by a single game.
There’s a lot to like about Torey Lovullo‘s squad, including reigning NL Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll and ace Zac Gallen, who finished third in NL Cy Young voting last season. But it’s hard to compete with a team that has the depth that the Dodgers do, especially over the large sample size of a 162-game regular season.
Arizona is the most likely team to benefit if LA falls apart, but I’d probably prefer to bet their National League Pennant odds (+1700) and hope for more postseason chaos.
[pick id="178002"]
Past NL West Winners
2023: Los Angeles Dodgers
2022: Los Angeles Dodgers
2021: San Francisco Giants
2020: Los Angeles Dodgers
2019: Los Angeles Dodgers
2018: Los Angeles Dodgers
2017: Los Angeles Dodgers
2016: Los Angeles Dodgers
2015: Los Angeles Dodgers
2014: Los Angeles Dodgers