The New York Yankees are competing in their first World Series in 15 years, an eternity for a team that has been there 40 times and won 27 championships. They'll face the Los Angeles Dodgers for a record 12th time in the World Series and the first time since 1981.
While most teams are thrilled just to make the World Series, the Yankees and their fanbase expect to win. However, those championship expectations are not shared by sportsbooks.
The Dodgers enter the 2024 World Series as the favorites at nearly every book while the Yankees range from anywhere between +104 to +110 to win the title. That's actually relatively rare considering how many times the World Series has gone through the Bronx.
Yankees As World Series Underdogs
The Yankees haven't been underdogs in the World Series since 1996 when they faced the Atlanta Braves and have been 'dogs just eight times in the World Series dating back to 1921. When listed as underdogs, the Yankees are 6-2 in the World Series with their only two losses coming against the 1976 Cincinnati Reds and the 1921 New York Giants.
This season, the Yankees have been one of MLB's best bets as 'dogs. As the best team in the American League, there weren't many games this season in which the Yankees weren't favorites — 27 total — but they had an 18-9 straight-up record as underdogs, the fourth-most profitable team this season.
Dodgers vs Yankees Odds in World Series Matchups
It has been more than 40 years since these two teams faced off for a championship, so their previous meetings won't have an impact on this series. Still, it's interesting to note the expectations of past teams and how these teams performed against one another historically.
In their previous World Series matchups, the Yankees have been favorites nine times and underdogs twice. The two times the Yankees were 'dogs against the Dodgers (1977 and 1978), the Bombers won both series in six games.
The series underdog has won the matchup in the past four meetings between these two teams in the World Series: Dodgers (1981), Yankees (1978), Yankees (1977), and Dodgers (1963).
While those past matchups won't have any impact, regular season performances will. The Dodgers will have home-field advantage in this series and they were dominant at home in the regular season.
L.A. had a 52-28 record at home this season, the most wins of any team in MLB in their home stadium. The Yankees were also the best team in baseball on the road with a 50-30 record away from the Bronx.
