The field has been narrowed in this year's chase for a World Series championship, so our attention has returned to World Series futures odds. And while some of us might consider the prices on the Philadelphia Phillies or New York Yankees to win the Fall Classic too short to play, we might want to take a shot on a better payout by picking the World Series matchup. Fortunately, 5Dimes is offering World Series odds for just that proposition.

The Big Dogs

The Phillies just missed out last year on becoming the first team since World War II to win the National League pennant three years in a row, losing to eventual World Series champion San Francisco in six games in the NLCS. This year Philly is playing with a vengeance, parlaying that great starting rotation and some big bats into the best record in the majors. The Phillies were the first team to clinch a division title this season, and they'll be the No. 1 seed in the National League.

On the other side of the bracket, the Yankees have emerged as the team with the best record in the American League. They haven't clinched the top seed in the AL yet, but they're three games up on Central Division-leading Detroit in the battle for that distinction, with a week and a half to go.

5Dimes is offering a price of +397 on a Phillies/Yankees World Series. But as those two teams look like they'll be the top seeds in their respective leagues, bettors should beware, because the last time the two top seeds met in the Series was 12 years ago when the Yankees beat the Braves.

Other AL Contenders

The Boston Red Sox own the AL Wild Card at the moment, but they're working on giving it away. The Sox just lost three of four games at Fenway to surging Tampa Bay, so going into Monday's play they're just two games up on the Rays in that race. And Boston ends the season with three games at New York and three in Baltimore. Nonetheless, if the Red Sox can hold on and just get into the postseason, they'd still be a threat to win the pennant.

5Dimes is offering a price of +405 on a Red Sox/Phillies World Series.

Detroit is trying to make things interesting in the battle for home-field advantage in the American League, and they're doing a pretty good job. The Tigers have won 14 of their last 16 games, trail the Yanks by just three games, and finish the season with a seven-game homestand vs. the Orioles and Indians. And in any playoff series in which Justin Verlander could pitch the first, fourth and maybe a seventh game, Detroit will have a shot. 

5Dimes is lining a Tigers/Phillies Series at +1,040.

The Texas Rangers are the defending American League champions, and they're only four games back of New York in the best-record race, and a game back of Detroit for the No. 2 seed. Texas ranks third in the majors in scoring and sixth in the AL in team ERA, and made a couple of nice late-season moves to bolster the bullpen. So the Rangers can't be discounted.

5Dimes is also offering a Rangers/Phillies World Series at +1,040.

And the possibility of a rematch of the 2008 Series between Tampa and Philly is getting +3,500.

Over in the Senior Circuit

The Milwaukee Brewers appear headed for the postseason for just the second time in the last 30 years. Milwaukee has ridden a very nice starting rotation and the big bats of MVP candidates Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder to the top of the NL Central. The Brewers stumbled recently, but might have righted themselves with a sweep of Cincinnati over the weekend. And they lead the battle for the No. 2 seed in the NL. 5Dimes is pricing a Brewers/Yankees World Series at +1,320, and a Milwaukee/Boston pairing at +1,345.

The Atlanta Braves have struggled in trying to secure the NL Wild-Card berth. They also may have lost SP Jair Jurrjens for the rest of the season to a bad knee, and are hoping fellow starter Tommy Hanson can recover from a sore shoulder. Heading into Monday Atlanta leads St. Louis by five games in the Wild-Card chase.

5Dimes is lining a Braves-Yankees Series at +1,965, and a Braves-Red Sox Series at +2,000.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are the biggest surprise in the Majors this season. They lead San Francisco  in the NL West by five games going into Monday, with a magic number of five. But they've given ground lately, as they've gone a bit cold and the Giants have gotten hot. The D-Backs have an advantage, though, in finishing the season with a nine-game homestand, which includes three games with San Fran this weekend.

5Dimes is listing a rematch of the 2001 Series between the Diamondbacks and Yankees at +2,325, while a D-Backs/Red Sox Series is getting at +2,365.

The longest odds on a matchup between two teams that lead either a division or a Wild-Card race at the moment is the +5,450 being offered on an Arizona-Texas World Series.

2011 World Series Matchup Predictions

Philadelphia just looks too darn good to avoid, and Detroit might be the hottest team in the American League. So we'll make a play on a Phillies/Tigers World Series at +1,040. And because recent baseball postseasons have been a bit on the unpredictable side, we'll also make a flyer bet on a Diamondbacks-Rangers World Series getting +5,450.