Oct 11, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) runs after hitting a single in the first inning during game five of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Well, it wasn’t hard to see this coming.

A pair of No. 1 seeds in the Dodgers and Yankees will go at it in this year’s World Series, with Game 1 set for Friday night. Los Angeles finished the regular season with the best record in the majors (98-64), while New York led the way in the American League at 94-68.

These teams have plenty of history in the Fall Classic, previously meeting 11 times. The Yankees have walked away with a title in eight of those matchups.

It has, however, been 43 years since the Dodgers went up against New York on baseball’s biggest stage. Times were different back in 1981 — DraftKings wasn’t fielding bets on Ron Guidry’s strikeout total.

But the sportsbooks are certainly up and running now, and you’ll only have seven more games at most to bring in some cash from the diamond.

Here’s how to end the season in the green:

The pick: Yankees Game 1 moneyline, +105 (DraftKings)

Playing at Dodger Stadium as an opponent hasn’t been easy as of late.

Los Angeles has won three of its past four home games in the playoffs, outscoring visitors 24-12 during that span while recording a pair of shutouts.

However, sending their fans home happy has been a struggle for the Dodgers once they reach the World Series. Los Angeles went 2-2 at home during the 2017 Fall Classic, then returned to the World Series a year later just to go 1-2 in front of a supportive crowd.

The Dodgers also played for a championship in 2020, but the World Series that year was held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, because of the whole COVID-19 thing. So don’t even worry about their splits there.

Add in the fact that New York is 4-1 on the road this postseason, and it gives us even more reason to believe that the Yankees steal Game 1.

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Freddie Freeman to hit 1+ home run in Game 1, +500 (DraftKings)

Freeman is so due. So, so due.

It’s now been 17 games (regular and postseason) and counting since Freeman has cleared the wall, but who better to break out of that rut against than Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole? Freeman is 7-for-20 (.350) with one long ball in his career against Cole.

Hampered by a right ankle sprain, Freeman hasn’t played since last Friday, using the extra time off to rest. And to us, he sounds like a man on a mission.

“Right now, I’m not thinking about game-time decisions,” Freeman said. “I think with this time off, it’s going to be a 100 percent go for me in Game 1 and we’ll adjust off of that.”

For the sake of our Yankees bet, let’s just hope it’s a solo shot.

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Over 6.5 total games in series, +195 (DraftKings)

Neither one of these teams is going down without a fight.

On one side you have the Dodgers, a team that will forever be in the spotlight as long as Shohei Ohtani is wearing blue and white, and on the other you have the Yankees, who have their own claim to fame with 27 rings.

A lot of fans probably aren’t happy to see such a pairing considering it’s essentially the majors’ two “evil empires” duking it out for the Commissioner’s Trophy, but Major League Baseball has to be salivating right now. This is the best possible matchup to generate viewership.

Getting a Game 7 and making money off it? Does it get any better than that?