World Series: How to watch Dodgers-Yankees, betting odds, ticket prices and more

Sometimes, it really does help to have all that money.

The big-spending Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees will meet in a matchup of World Series heavyweights starting Friday night at Dodger Stadium. The Yankees ranked second in payroll this season at $311 million while the Dodgers were third at $266 million, according to MLB's latest projections.

The two franchises are among the sport's most successful. The Yankees just won their 41st American League pennant and the Dodgers their 25th National League championship.

New York is seeking its 28th World Series title but first since 2009, the Dodgers their eighth and second in a five-year span.

Here's a look at some things to watch as the series begins:

The series pits two of this generation's great sluggers against one another: LA's Shohei Ohtani vs. New York's Aaron Judge.

Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a regular season, reaching the milestone Sept. 19 with his second of three homers against the Marlins. He's largely kept up that production in the playoffs, batting .286 with three homers and 10 RBIs.

Judge had another mammoth regular season, leading the big leagues with 58 homers. He also hit .322 with 144 RBIs. The 32-year-old has been a little quiet in these playoffs, batting .161 with two homers and six RBIs.

The Ohtani vs. Judge matchup is sure to command the most attention, but both teams have other players who have starred so far in October.

Veteran slugger Giancarlo Stanton is having an excellent postseason, batting .294 with five homers and 11 RBIs, earning the AL Championship Series MVP. The 34-year-old has struggled with injuries and inconsistency since joining the Yankees in 2018 but could cement his spot in franchise lore with a big World Series.

The Dodgers are pushing through October with an unlikely middle-of-the-order threat — the 5-foot-10, 193-pound Tommy Edman.

Edman was acquired at the trade deadline from the Cardinals and has been invaluable this postseason. He's batting .341 and clubbed a two-run homer in the team's NLCS-clinching win over the Mets on Sunday. He won the NLCS MVP.

It'll take deep pockets to get to this year's Fall Classic — for the teams, and for fans.

The lowest asking ticket price on the resale market to any game has hovered in the $1,200-$1,300, range according to Stubhub.

StubHub said Monday that sales outpaced last year’s final figures and were four times higher than the pace of the 2022 Series. Sales for Games 3-5 in New York were 40% higher than for Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 in Los Angeles.

Many of baseball’s recent rule changes are still in effect during the postseason, including the pitch clock, a ban on extreme infield shifts and a limit to how many times a pitcher can disengage from the rubber. The pitch clock has been a huge change for the sport and widely celebrated, cutting game times by about a half-hour.

There is one rule that doesn’t make the postseason cut: the automatic runner in extra innings.

During the MLB regular season, if a game goes to extra innings, a runner is placed at second base to start the 10th inning when each team bats. That doesn't happen in the postseason. Extra innings will be played just like the previous nine.

The Dodgers (-130) are the current betting favorites to win the World Series, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The underdog Yankees are at +110.

All seven games will be broadcast on Fox. They're also available on Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV and YouTube TV.

Game 1: New York at Los Angeles, Friday, 8:08 p.m. EDT

Game 2: New York at Los Angeles, Saturday, 8:08 p.m. EDT

Game 3: Los Angeles at New York, Oct. 28, 8:08 p.m. EDT

Game 4: Los Angeles at New York, Oct. 29, 8:08 p.m. EDT

Game 5: Los Angeles at New York, Oct. 30, 8:08 p.m. EDT (if necessary)

Game 6: New York at Los Angeles, Nov. 1, 8:08 p.m. EDT (if necessary)

Game 7: New York at Los Angeles, Nov. 2, 8:08 p.m. EDT (if necessary)

AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Los Angeles Dodgers' Tommy Edman celebrates after their win against the New York Mets in Game 6 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Los Angeles. The Dodgers will face the New York Yankees in the World. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton holds up the MVP trophy after Game 5 of the baseball AL Championship Series Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland. The Yankees won 5-2 to advance to the World Series. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez )

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates after their win against the New York Mets in Game 6 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Los Angeles. The Dodgers will face the New York Yankees in the World. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge holds the American League Championship trophy after Game 5 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland. The Yankees won 5-2 to advance to the World Series. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

INZAI CITY, Japan (AP) — Nico Echavarria shot 5-under 65 on Saturday and finished with a tap-in eagle on the 18th for a two-shot lead over Justin Thomas after the third round of the Zozo Championship.

Echavarria is aiming for his second victory on the PGA Tour after winning last year in Puerto Rico. Thomas has won 15 times on the PGA Tour, but is without a victory in 2 1/2 years since winning the 2022 PGA Championship.

Max Greyserman, looking for his first PGA Tour win, carded a 64 and is three back. Three more are six behind and still in the mix: Kevin Yu (66), Rickie Fowler (67) and Nate Lashley (63).

“I mean, that’s the way you want to finish a round,” said Echavarria, who hit a 5-wood to 2 feet for the tap-in on the 550-yard hole. “I had a good tee shot, hit a really good second shot and finished with an eagle. I prefer that than a birdie obviously.”

The 30-year-old Echavarria, a Colombian who played at the University of Arkansas, saved par on the 12th with a difficult downhill chip from thick rough on his third shot, and then dropped a clutch putt.

It might have saved his round.

"I started getting shaky on the back nine with a bogey on 9 and an incredible save on 12," he said. “But we finished the round as well as we could.”

Echavarria is 17-under 193 at the par-70 Narashino Country Club, located about 50 miles outside central Tokyo.

Thomas won his first major in 2017 — again the PGA Championship — and rose to No. 1 in the world golf rankings in 2018. Now he's trying to recapture the feeling.

“It’s obviously tough,” he said. “It’s hard to win at any stage, doesn’t matter who you are.”

He said early success might have made it look easier than it is.

“To yourself and everybody else,” he added.

“At the end of the day it has been a while, but I’ve still won a pretty good amount of golf tournaments. I know how to win. It’s just a matter of executing and doing it and that’s really been the biggest difference. There’s a reason there’s only one every week.”

Fowler, who tied for the runner-up two years ago and has connections to Japan, suggested he was close to making a run.

“There’s been a lot of good signs, but over the past few events I just haven’t really put it all together," he said. "So I’m looking forward to getting out there and hopefully we can get a good one going.”

The pre-tournament favorites are far out of contention.

Defending champion Collin Morikawa shot 70 and was 13 shots behind, as is Xander Schauffele after a 68.

Japanese favorite Hideki Matsuyama shot 66 — his best round of the tournament — but is 15 shots off the lead.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Max Greyserman of the United States lines up a putt on the 15th green in the third round of the PGA Tour Zozo Championship at the Narashino Country Club in Inzai on the outskirts of Tokyo, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Tomohiro Ohsumi)

Max Greyserman of the United States hits his tee shot on the 15th hole in the third round of the PGA Tour Zozo Championship at the Narashino Country Club in Inzai on the outskirts of Tokyo, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Tomohiro Ohsumi)

Justin Thomas of the United States walks infront of zozo logo on the 16th hole in the third round of the PGA Tour Zozo Championship at the Narashino Country Club in Inzai on the outskirts of Tokyo, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Tomohiro Ohsumi)

Justin Thomas of the United States reacts after a putt on the 17th hole in the third round of the PGA Tour Zozo Championship at the Narashino Country Club in Inzai on the outskirts of Tokyo, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Tomohiro Ohsumi)

Justin Thomas of the United States hits his tee shot on the 17th hole in the third round of the PGA Tour Zozo Championship at the Narashino Country Club in Inzai on the outskirts of Tokyo, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Tomohiro Ohsumi)

Nico Echavarria of Colombia, right, hits his tee shot on the 18th hole in the third round of the PGA Tour Zozo Championship at the Narashino Country Club in Inzai on the outskirts of Tokyo, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Tomohiro Ohsumi)

Nico Echavarria of Colombia acknowledges the fans after putting on the 17th green in the third round of the PGA Tour Zozo Championship at the Narashino Country Club in Inzai on the outskirts of Tokyo, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Tomohiro Ohsumi)

Nico Echavarria of Colombia is seen on the 16th hole in the third round of the PGA Tour Zozo Championship at the Narashino Country Club in Inzai on the outskirts of Tokyo, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Tomohiro Ohsumi)