2023 Odds To Win National League: Dodgers Narrow Favorites Over Braves

The Dodgers have been at the top of National League pennant odds for a long time, but other teams are slowly creeping up. 

The Mets (+450) were once co-favorites until Edwin Diaz’s injury knocked the Amazins down a notch. Now, the Dodgers (+350) are favored, followed closely by the Braves (+375) on the NL oddsboard, which is much more intriguing than the AL pennant chase.

Here’s a full breakdown of the NL pennant race. 

2023 Odds To Win The National League

The +350 odds of the Dodgers winning the National League means that a $100 bet on the team would profit you $350. Additionally, our sports betting calculator tells us that those odds represent an implied win probability of 22.22 percent.

Braves better than the dodgers?

Sure, the Dodgers have a deep rotation, stars like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, and a track record of dominance, but the Braves, who are up there in World Series odds, might be better this year. 

Ronald Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson should improve this season. 2022 NL Rookie of the Year Michael Harris will be a force in Atlanta’s order, as will newly acquired catcher Sean Murphy. The real gems of the Braves team are in the starting rotation, where Spencer Strider (and his massive quads) are ready to terrorize NL hitters. I’d watch for a Strider Cy Young push, and I’d also count on the Braves following up their 101-win season with another stellar effort in 2023. 

NL Pennant Odds: Sleeper Picks

St. Louis Cardinals (+1000)

The Cardinals may not have the splashy signings of the Mets or the consistent star development of the Dodgers, but St. Louis’ talent is right there with the top teams.

In Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, the Cards may have two of the best five hitters in the National League. Beyond them, they’ve got a deep lineup with Tommy Edman, Tyler O’Neill and the newly added Willson Contreras.

On the pitching side, they might not have a true ace, but they’ve got a solid rotation one through five with some flamethrowers in the bullpen (Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos, Jordan Hicks). They’re solid if not spectacular across the board and could certainly compete for a pennant in 2023.

Chicago Cubs (+4000)

You can dream on the 2023 Cubs if things break right. They were sneaky active this offseason, adding Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger, Jameson Taillon and some relievers. If Ian Happ keeps raking, Bellinger finds anything near his MVP form and the rotation anchored by Marcus Stroman and Taillon holds up, this could be an 85+ win team or maybe even a division contender. And once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen.

Chicago’s division isn’t that difficult either. Sure, we just outlined how the Cardinals have a solid foundation. But, they’re a few pitching injuries away from being super shallow there and the rest of the Central is full of holes. The Pirates and Reds project to be bottom-feeders and the Brewers could be selling by the deadline if things go south.

How To Bet On NL Pennant Odds

When you visit your sportsbook of choice, you’ll see an option to bet on the NL pennant odds futures, which is a long-term bet on which team will represent the National League in the World Series. You would see odds listed like this:

The lower down the oddsboard, the less likely the odds deem the team to win, but the bigger the payout you get if they do. If you were to bet $100 on the Brewers in these futures and they won the NL, you’d get a payout of $1,600 – your original $100 is returned, along with your winnings of $1,500. On the other hand, the same bet amount on the Padres or Dodgers would give you a payout of $475 – you get your $100 back, plus the winnings of $375.

Our odds calculator can help you determine how much you’d pocket depending on the odds and the amount bet.