Dodgers aren't the best bet to win World Series and here's why

With about a month remaining in the MLB season, the Los Angeles Dodgers hold a three-game lead in the NL West through Tuesday's play and are a near-lock for the postseason.

Per ESPN Bet, the Dodgers are favored to win the World Series, but should they be? Los Angeles has holes as it aims to win its first World Series title since 2020. 

Here are five reasons why Los Angeles isn't as good a bet to win it all as you may think:

The offense is too top heavy: After the 1-2-3 tandem at the top of the order of designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (41 HRs, 94 RBI), right fielder Mookie Betts (.300 BA) and first baseman Freddie Freeman (17 HR, 73 RBI), no one else in the lineup strikes fear into opponents.

Catcher and cleanup hitter Will Smith and third baseman Max Muncy are proven players, but both are having down seasons. Smith is hitting .244, 14 points lower than his career average, while Muncy is batting only .226. 

The starting pitching is a concern: After losing star right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (shoulder/right triceps) for most of the season, the rotation is worrisome for the postseason. (Yamamoto might return by October, per the Associated Press.)

Starter Tyler Glasnow has already reached a career high in innings (134) and is back on the injured list, Clayton Kershaw has been far from reliable in the postseason throughout his career (13-13, 4.49 ERA), and the rest of the rotation has little playoff experience. 

Dave Roberts is good, but ... In five of Roberts' eight seasons as manager of the Dodgers, he has won 100 or more games, but it almost should be impossible not to win big with all the talent Los Angeles has assembled on the fifth-highest payroll in the majors (per Spotrac).

In the postseason, though, Roberts is only 45-39, so a World Series appearance isn't guaranteed.

Teams with the best records usually don't win it all: With 78 wins, the Dodgers are currently tied with the Phillies and Yankees for the most victories in the majors.

According to MLB.com, since 1969, the team that finishes the regular season with the best record has won the World Series only 15 times. 

One of those 15 were the Dodgers in 2020. Take away that COVID-19-shortened season, however, and it has not been done for the past six seasons. History does not favor the Dodgers.

Divisional rivals a concern: Over the past two seasons, the Dodgers have been eliminated from the postseason by the Padres in 2022 and Diamondbacks in 2023, potential opponents for the Dodgers in the first round of the playoffs.

This season, the Padres — who have three games remaining against Los Angeles — won the season series over the Dodgers for the first time since 2010. San Diego has won seven of 10 between the teams.

The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, lead the season series over the Dodgers, 5-4. The teams will meet once more, in a three-game series beginning Friday.

Teams that were once intimidated by the Dodgers know they are more than capable of beating them series.

The Dodgers will most likely finish with roughly 95 wins and get a first-round bye. But don't be surprised if, like last season, the Dodgers exit the playoffs early.