This page will serve as TheLines’ hub for MLB To Make the Playoffs odds as well as game lines for postseason contests once October rolls around. Now that baseball teams have played several weeks worth of games, favorites like the Atlanta Braves and L.A. Dodgers are playing like top contenders while the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and New York Mets are struggling to stay above .500. The Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles are part of the early best record in baseball conversation. With the regular season being 162 games and 12 MLB playoff spots up for grabs, the to make the playoff odds will continue shifting in the weeks and months ahead.
Here is an updated look at where teams stand.
MLB Playoffs odds
Check out MLB Playoffs odds here. If you are looking for World Series odds go here to compare futures prices.
Baseball playoffs betting
Now that the 2023 MLB season is in its second month, here are the latest MLB odds for which teams have the best chances of making the postseason.
Arizona Diamondbacks : Believe it or not, the Diamondbacks are leading the NL Wild Card race. However, will Arizona (currently 25-19) still be in the MLB playoff conversation come September and October? Bettors get some value with the current Diamondbacks odds, but the team will need to continue playing above .500 ball all season if this bet is going to have any shot of paying out.
Atlanta Braves : The Braves are such a heavy favorite to make the MLB Playoffs that the current line is extremely unattractive to bettors. Besides having one of the best records among NL teams, the Braves have opened the season with an impressive 17-7 record away from Truist Park (versus 10-9 at home). Factor in starting pitchers Spencer Strider and Max Fried being among the top NL Cy Young contenders along with Ronald Acuna Jr. currently sitting as the NL MVP favorite, and Atlanta is showing early why they are one of the World Series favorites.
Baltimore Orioles : The Orioles are coming off their first winning season (83-79) since 2016, and it happens to be the last time this franchise was a playoff team. The winning formula is working so far this season as the O’s have a .636 win percentage and are three games ahead of the Bronx Bombers. While there is still a long way to go, Baltimore is putting the other AL teams on notice that this could be the season in which their MLB postseason drought finally ends.
Boston Red Sox : Even with mainstays Xander Bogaerts (Padres) and JD Martinez (Dodgers) now with NL clubs, the Red Sox are still playing above .500 ball. Rafael Devers is doing his part with 11 homers and 40 RBI, both of which rank him among the MLB leaders. One of the biggest challenges for Boston is keeping up with the rest of the AL East as every team is above .500.
Chicago White Sox : The White Sox have long odds to make the playoffs as a result of being 13 games below .500 with a -63 run differential. Opening the season 9-13 at home and having a .356 win percentage does not help Chicago’s odds to make the playoffs.
Chicago Cubs : Even though the Cubs had an active off-season, Chicago continues to struggle with winning on a consistent basis. If the Cubbies gain some momentum and figure out a way to play above .500 baseball, this could be a team worth monitoring.
Cincinnati Reds : Cincinnati struggles in the win column have extended into the current season. Sportsbooks set the Reds regular season wins at over/under 65.5, so even finishing slightly over would make them a non-playoff team. This franchise has made the postseason just once since 2013, and that run ended in the Wild Card round.
Cleveland Guardians : The defending AL Central champs are off to a 20-23 start that includes a 9-12 home record. The flip-side is the Guardians play in the AL Central where four of the five teams are below .500. If Cleveland stays within striking distance of Minnesota (up 3.5 games as of May 19), those head-to-head series later in the season could impact whether or not the Guardians make the playoffs again.
Colorado Rockies : The Rockies remain one of the biggest longshots to make the playoffs, and a 19-25 record combined with a -25 run differential isn’t helping. Colorado’s last winning season came in 2018 (91-72), which also happens to be the last time the franchise made the postseason.
Detroit Tigers : The Tigers have not made the MLB postseason since 2014. The current Tigers odds of making the playoffs combined with a -48 run differential are signs the postseason drought will continue in 2023. As of May 19, Detroit is only 3.5 out of first in the AL Central so it’s too early to count these Tigers out completely.
Houston Astros : The defending champs still have the second shortest odds among AL teams to win the World Series at DraftKings Sportsbook. Houston has been playing better ball as of late with a 24-19 record that has them within two games of the Rangers. The AL West competition is looking much tougher compared to 2022 when Houston finished 16 games ahead of the Mariners.
Kansas City Royals : The Kansas City Royals once again have long odds of joining the MLB postseason mix after winning just 65 games in 2022. Winning just 14 out of their first 44 games in which they’ve been out scored 244-182 are early signs the Royals odds of making the playoffs are not about to improve. Kansas City has not made the postseason since 2015 when they beat the Mets in the World Series.
Los Angeles Angels : With AL MVP favorites Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout healthy again, the Angels are hanging with the AL West leaders. Keeping pace with the Astros and Rangers as we get into the summer months will certainly help those playoff chances.
Los Angeles Dodgers : Looking at the Dodgers odds, few will question the franchise’s chances of making the postseason. Baring injuries, it’s more about how far this deep and talented team will go. The Dodgers have been playing well as of late with a +49 run differential – second best among all NL teams behind the Braves. L.A. remains the heavy favorite to win the NL West with -400 odds at DraftKings.
Miami Marlins : Even with 2022 NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara leading the starting rotation, one thing the Marlins have going against them is playing in the extremely tough NL East with three returning playoff teams. So far Miami is hanging with them early and sitting alone in second place – 4.5 games behind the Braves. Luis Arraaez continues to lead all MLB hitters with a .378 batting average.
Milwaukee Brewers : If the Brewers win the NL Central, it will help the franchise forget about just missing the final NL Wild Card spot last season. The team is off to a 24-19 start, putting them a game up on the surprising Pittsburgh Pirates.
Minnesota Twins : Minnesota is one of those American League teams worth monitoring as they contend with the Guardians for AL Central bragging rights. The Twins are -240 to win the division, making them the current favorite. Joe Ryan is leading the pitching staff (6-1, 2.16 ERA).
New York Mets : As long as Steve Cohen owns the Mets, this franchise will remain in the playoff conversation as a result of having baseball’s highest payroll (over $353 million). It includes signing Justin Verlander during the offseason. The NL Cy Young candidate is finally off the DL and starting again. However, even with short odds, the Mets need to turns things around from a 22-23 start that has them sitting six games behind Atlanta.
New York Yankees : Here we are in early May and the Yankees are tied for third in the AL East with a 26-20 record, 6.5 games behind the Rays. At the same time, the current Yankees odds show the betting market still has plenty of faith in the Bronx Bombers postseason chances. Gerrit Cole is is 5-0 with a 2.01 ERA.
Oakland Athletics : Most of the talk surrounding the Oakland A’s centers around the pending move to Las Vegas. Most sportsbooks have taken the A’s odds of making the playoffs off the board, and it only takes one look at the AL West standings to understand why – 17 games out of first with a 10-35 record.
Philadelphia Phillies : Even with Bryce Harper back in the lineup. the reigning National League champions have not been playing well, especially on the road where they’re 9-16 so far. Looking back at the 2022 season, it’s all about how the Phillies finish come August and September. The upcoming 10 game road trip that includes games against the Braves and Mets will be something worth monitoring.
Pittsburgh Pirates : The Pirates are still very much in the NL Central race, within one game of the Brewers. The strong start is not going unnoticed as the Pirates odds to make the playoffs opened at +1200 and have since dropped to +500. This team has not made the NL playoffs since 2015.
San Diego Padres : The Padres another team that falls under the disappointing start category as San Diego sits 7.5 games behind the Dodgers in mid-May, putting them fourth out of five teams. Now Manny Machado is dealing with a fractured left hand. Even with the current situation, the Padres odds of making the MLB Playoffs remain strong.
San Francisco Giants : Playing in the NL West with the Dodgers and Padres will continue to be the biggest challenge to the Giants’ postseason odds. San Francisco’s odds to make the playoffs are still reasonable, but they’ll need to drastically improve their .465 win percentage to have a legitimate shot.
Seattle Mariners : Now that the Mariners have ended their two decade postseason drought, it’s now about getting back. Seattle is off to a slow start, including a 10-12 home mark. The upside is there are only five games separating the first-place Rangers and fourth-place Mariners. It could be another season of contending for a Wild Card.
St. Louis Cardinals : The defending NL Central champion Cardinals continue to struggle in the win column with a 19-26 record that has them trailing the Brewers by six games. The current Cardinals odds combined with recent playoff history are signs St. Louis will rediscover their winning ways as the season continues.
Tampa Bay Rays : Tampa Bay is still the hottest team in baseball with a 32-13 record. The 13-0 start tied a modern era MLB record. The Rays are leading all MLB teams in batting average (.273) and home runs (87) while ranking second in team ERA (3.38).
Texas Rangers : The Rangers are the early AL West leaders, and having ace Jacob deGrom (currently sidelined with an injury) make the smooth transition over to the American League helps. He is 2-0 with 45 strike outs over 30.1 innings. deGrom is one of the big reasons why the Rangers have short playoff odds. Having a +87 run differential helps as well.
Toronto Blue Jays : Whether or not the Toronto Blue Jays will win 92 games again is to be determined as the AL East race is looking like it’s going to one of the tightest divisions. Keeping pace with the Red Sox, Orioles and Yankees is a good start.
Washington Nationals : The Nationals currently find themselves 9.5 games out of first after starting the season 18-26. Like the A’s, sportsbooks currently have the Nationals odds off the board. Since winning the 2019 World Series, Washington has been on a downward spiral that included losing a franchise record 107 games in 2022.
Baseball player props (May 27, 2023)
Check out our FREE props tool below to help you find the best odds at all of the US sportsbooks.
More baseball postseason lines
Bettors have the option of wagering on the overall result of a series, or the entire postseason by backing a World Series champion. These are called futures bets and they can be placed during the preseason, regular season, or during the postseason.
There are also futures in the pre-season and during the season regarding which teams will and won’t make the postseason cut.
Baseball playoffs odds
Here is where the odds to make the baseball playoffs stand at the start of spring training. We will monitor the MLB odds movement throughout the 2023 season.
| Team | MLB Odds to Make the Playoffs Feb. 27 | MLB Odds to Make the Playoffs March 22 | MLB Odds to Make the Playoffs April 21 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Diamondbacks | Yes +550, No -750 | Yes +550, No -750 | Yes +350, No -425 |
| Atlanta Braves | Yes -475, No +370 | Yes -550, No +425 | Yes -2000, No + 1100 |
| Baltimore Orioles | Yes +350, No -450 | Yes +370, No -475 | Yes +330, No -400 |
| Boston Red Sox | Yes +300, No -370 | Yes +270, No -330 | Yes +390, No -500 |
| Chicago Cubs | Yes +310, No -380 | Yes +360, No -450 | Yes +260, No -310 |
| Chicago White Sox | Yes +125, No -145 | Yes +140, No -160 | Yes +350, No -425 |
| Cincinnati Reds | Yes +1800, No -5000 | Yes +1800, No -5000 | Yes +2000, No -8000 |
| Cleveland Guardians | Yes -135, No +115 | Yes -135, No +115 | Yes -115, No -105 |
| Colorado Rockies | Yes +2500, No -10000 | Yes +2500, No -10000 | OTB |
| Detroit Tigers | Yes +1200, No -2500 | Yes +1200, No -2500 | Yes +1900, No -10000 |
| Houston Astros | Yes -750, No +550 | Yes -600, No +475 | Yes -270, No +230 |
| Kansas City Royals | Yes +1100, No -2000 | Yes +1100, No -2000 | Yes +3000, No -20000 |
| LA Angels | Yes +175, No -205 | Yes +155, No -190 | Yes +195, No -235 |
| LA Dodgers | Yes -700, No +500 | Yes -550, No +450 | Yes -360, No +290 |
| Miami Marlins | Yes +320, No -400 | Yes +320, No -400 | Yes +260, No -300 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | Yes -110, No -110 | Yes -110, No -110 | Yes -360, No +290 |
| Minnesota Twins | Yes +130, No -155 | Yes +115, No -135 | Yes -180, No +145 |
| NY Mets | Yes -500, No +390 | Yes -380, No +310 | Yes -700, No +550 |
| NY Yankees | Yes -425, No +340 | Yes -475, No +340 | Yes -450, No +370 |
| Oakland A's | Yes +2500, No -10000 | Yes +2500, No -10000 | OTB |
| Philadelphia Phillies | Yes -200, No +170 | Yes -195, No +165 | Yes +130, No -155 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | Yes +1200, No -2500 | Yes +1200, No -2500 | Yes +700, No -1000 |
| San Diego Padres | Yes -380, No +310 | Yes -400, No +330 | Yes -270, No +220 |
| San Francisco Giants | Yes +185, No -220 | Yes +180, No -210 | Yes +310, No -390 |
| Seattle Mariners | Yes -165, No +135 | Yes -150, No +130 | Yes +150, No -180 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Yes -235, No +195 | Yes -235, No +200 | Yes -115, No -105 |
| TB Rays | Yes -165, No +140 | Yes -155, No +135 | Yes -525, No +425 |
| Texas Rangers | Yes +180, No -215 | Yes +180, No -215 | Yes -110, No -110 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | Yes -255, No +215 | Yes -240, No +205 | Yes -270, No +225 |
| Washington Nationals | Yes +2500, No -10000 | Yes +2500, No -10000 | OTB |
How the MLB playoffs work
Major League Baseball tweaked its postseason starting in 2022 as 12 total teams now qualify for the October tournament. The top two seeds in each league receive byes into the Division Series’. The remaining eight teams compete in Wild Card games.
In the first year of this format, the 6-seeded Phillies took advantage as they beat the Cardinals in a best-of-3 set, the Braves in a best-of-5 series, and the Padres in the NLCS to make it all the way to the World Series. Things were much less chaotic in the AL as 1-seed Houston went to the World Series and eventually won it all.