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By Cooper Burns
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – On the final day of the 2024 season, the Arizona Diamondbacks watched the last glimmer of their chance to return to the Fall Classic fade away.
Following a two-game split between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets, the Diamondbacks were the last team eliminated from playoff contention.
Now, with another MLB season fast approaching, the Diamondbacks, who reached the World Series in 2023 before falling to the Texas Rangers, are hopeful that the organization’s offseason moves will put them in position to make another playoff run.
Oddsmakers are not yet convinced. The Diamondbacks, according to the sportsbooks, remain a long shot.
During the offseason, the Diamondbacks lost free agents first baseman Christian Walker and outfielder Joc Pederson, who combined to hit 49 home runs in 2024, but general manager Mike Hazen surprised many by signing star pitcher Corbin Burnes. Then Hazen nabbed first baseman Josh Naylor in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians to replace Walker’s bat in the lineup.
With the additions of Naylor and Burnes to a strong core, the Diamondbacks believe they can not only return to the postseason but make a run yet again. But the Diamondbacks face long odds playing in arguably baseball’s toughest division, the NL West.
World Series odds
It should be no surprise that the favorite to win the 2025 World Series is Arizona’s NL West rival, the free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers.
The reigning World Series champions added even more pieces in their quest to win consecutive titles. As for the Diamondbacks, their odds did not shift despite signing Burnes and trading for Naylor.
At +3000, the Diamondbacks have the 14th-lowest odds to win the title among all teams. As for the National League as a whole, the Diamondbacks have the sixth-lowest odds to win the title.
Despite Las Vegas’ prediction, this team is no stranger to making noise despite long odds. In 2023, when the Diamondbacks made the World Series, their odds to win the title outright were at +10000 to begin the season.
While their odds may be lower this time around, they have more work to do with the Dodgers standing in their way.
National League championship odds
Just two years ago, the Diamondbacks shocked the baseball world by winning the National League pennant. Before the 2023 season, sportsbooks had the Diamondbacks at +5500 to win the pennant, fifth worst in the National League.
Following their stunning 2023 World Series berth, the sportsbooks have gained more respect for the Diamondbacks but remain cautious.
Entering the 2024 season, the Snakes’ odds were as low as +1400 to win the pennant. Fast forward to 2025, the books have the Diamondbacks listed at +1100
Despite the difference in odds across platforms, the consensus is the Diamondbacks are tied for the sixth-shortest odds to win the NL pennant.
Ahead of them are the Dodgers (+180), Atlanta Braves (+550), Philadelphia Phillies (+600), New York Mets (+600) and San Diego Padres (+1100).
On their way to the pennant in 2023, the Diamondbacks took down two teams currently listed in front of them, the Phillies and Dodgers. If the Diamondbacks want to win the NL, they will likely have to beat those same teams again.
NL West odds
In 2025, the NL West will be one of the hardest divisions to win.
Coming into the 2025 season, MLB ranks three of the five NL west teams in their top 10.
Despite the Diamondbacks and Padres both being ranked inside the MLB’s top 10, the Dodgers are clearly the favorite to beat once again.
According to the sportsbooks, the Dodgers are heavily favored to win the NL West in 2025. As it sits, the Dodgers’ odds are as low as -650 to win the division.
Why are the Dodgers so heavily favored to win the division? It could be a combination of having the highest payroll in baseball combined with a history of success.
Christopher Boan of Bet Arizona says that most of the time oddsmakers will look at past results when initially creating lines.
“You’re going to pull from recent results,” Boan said. “There’s this theory in sports that if a player or a team ends the season well on a hot streak, that automatically will carry into the next season.”
In the past 10 seasons, the Dodgers have won the division nine times. 2021 saw the San Francisco Giants celebrate their division title.
A lot has also been made of the Dodgers roster coming into the 2025 season. This offseason the Dodgers were able to sign pitcher Blake Snell, infielder Hyeseong Kim, pitcher Roki Sasaki, and pitcher Tanner scott among others.
Those free agents will be playing alongside returners Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie betts among others.
Oddsmakers are not quite ready to give any other NL west team a shot to win the division.
Coming into 2025, the Diamondbacks have the same odds to win the division as they did at the beginning of 2024, +1000.
Despite most of the sportsbooks having the Diamondbacks at +1000 or lower this season, it will be a tall task for anyone to take down the Dodgers.
Win total
One of the most sought-after bets across sports each season is a team’s win total.
The Diamondbacks win total last season was 84.5 wins for the 2024 season. In the end, the Diamondbacks won 89 games in 2024, the seventh time in the last 11 years they hit the over on wins.
Sportsbooks this season have the Diamondbacks win total at 85.5.
One of the main reasons that bettors are hesitant to take this bet is due to the Diamondbacks schedule.
Throughout the 2025 season, the Diamondbacks will play 34 games against MLB.com’s five highest-ranked teams (Dodgers, Yankees, Braves, Phillies and Mets).
The San Diego Padres, who sit in sixth place, will meet the Diamondbacks for 13 games this season.
In total, the Diamondbacks will play 47 games (29% of their schedule) against the league’s top six teams .
Additionally, the Diamondbacks end the 2025 regular season campaign with three home games against the Phillies, three home games against the Dodgers and three road games against the Padres
At that point in the season, other teams may have clinched and could rest their players.
Despite all of the hypotheticals, there is no denying that the Diamondbacks will have to work hard to eclipse their win projection this season.
NL Cy Young
First-year Diamondbacks pitcher Corbin Burnes comes into the season looking for his first Cy Young award. The Orioles ace finished fifth in AL Cy Young voting last year with a total of 47 points.
Oddsmakers believe that Burnes is in for yet another big season, this time in the NL. As it sits, Burnes’ odds to win the NL Cy Young sit at +1600, fifth shortest in the NL.
Ahead of him sits Paul Skenes (Pirates, +300), Zack Wheeler (Phillies, +800), Chris Sale (Braves, +800), and Blake Snell (Dodgers, +1000).
One of the reasons that Burnes is as low on the odds charts is due to the high volume of strikeouts he records. In three of the last four seasons, Burnes has recorded 200+ strikeouts. Last year, when he recorded 181 strikeouts, was the only exception. Along with his 181 strikeouts, Burnes posted a 2.92 ERA, which was good for seventh lowest in the MLB.
This season will be a little bit tougher for Burnes entering one of the hardest divisions in baseball. Burnes pitched once against the Dodgers last season and gave up six earned runs.
If Burnes wants to win the Cy Young this season, he will have to clean up some of his mistakes against the Dodgers and Padres.
Along with Burnes in the CY Young race is Zac Gallen, who at +3500, posts the 18th-best odds in the NL to win the award.
During the 2024 season, Gallen had a 3.65 ERA, 156 strikeouts, and a record of 14-6. He is certainly a long shot but with a great defense behind him, anything is possible.
The Diamondbacks have won five Cy Young Awards all time. Randy Johnson acquired four in a row from 1999-2002.
The last Diamondbacks pitcher to win the award? Brandon Webb in 2006.
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