The MLB postseason has arrived. World Series odds for all of the baseball teams still in the hunt are currently available to bet on at top sportsbooks. MLB betting markets have the Atlanta Braves (+260) as the favorites. The LA Dodgers (+410), Houston Astros (+480) and Baltimore Orioles (+650) are also among the favorites to win baseball’s top prize.
Check out odds to win the World Series in 2023 for contending MLB teams below.
World Series odds
Compare World Series odds for 2023 for every team in MLB below. Click to bet on the price you like.
Odds to win World Series 2023
Check out World Series odds for every team as well as an updated outlook for the 2023 MLB season.
World Series Favorites
Atlanta Braves : Besides having the NL East and top seed locked up, the Braves lead all MLB teams in run differential (+234).
Los Angeles Dodgers : Thanks to an offense that includes Mookie Betts (.308 average) and Freddie Freeman (.331), the NL West champs are looking to make another World Series run.
Baltimore Orioles : Since opening the regular season with +8000 World Series odds, the O’s clinched the AL East, locked up the American League’s No. 1 seed, and won 100 games. Baltimore, making their first postseason appearance since 2017, now has the third shortest odds on the board.
Texas Rangers : A shaky bullpen caused the Rangers to fall into a tailspin in late August but they have since regained the AL West lead and looking at a bye into the divisional round. However, they’ll need to do it without Max Scherzer who is out for the rest of the regular season due to injury.
Houston Astros : While the Mariners forced their way into a three-way bottleneck atop the AL West, the defending World Series champs are getting the fifth shortest odds (+1100) at Caesars Sportsbook.
Tampa Bay Rays : The Rays know they’re hosting a Wild Card Series at Tropicana Field after clinching the No. 4 seed.
Philadelphia Phillies : The top Wild Card team in the National League is opening the postseason at Citizens Bank Park.
World Series Odds: Contenders
Toronto Blue Jays : With three games left to play, the Blue Jays are holding on to the second AL Wild Card spot.
Minnesota Twins : The Twins have clinched the AL Central and they have a lot of exciting young talent, but probably lack the experience to make any noise this postseason.
Milwaukee Brewers : All the Brewers have done lately is win close games, as the NL Central champs have found their offensive stride at the right time.
Seattle Mariners : The Mariners remain very much in the hunt for the final two AL Wild Card spots with the Astros and Blue Jays.
Arizona Diamondbacks : After starting 7-21 out of the break, the Diamondbacks have turned it around to gain some footing in the Wild Card race.
Miami Marlins : The Marlins enter the final weekend of the regular season looking to clinch one of the two remaining NL Wild Card spots.
Chicago Cubs : The Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Marlins are in a tight race for the final two NL Wild Card berths.
Cincinnati Reds : The Reds have cooled off at the plate, but their season can still be considered a success as they begin a rebuilding process.
How World Series odds are changing
The World Series odds will change throughout the course of the 2023 season. Here is where they stand as of August 30.
| Team | World Series Odds March 23 | Post-Trade Deadline August 2 | World Series Odds August 30 | World Series Odds September 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | +750 | +330 | +330 | +310 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +850 | +500 | +400 | +400 |
| Houston Astros | +600 | +700 | +700 | +1000 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +1900 | +800 | +750 | +950 |
| Texas Rangers | +4500 | +1100 | +1100 | +700 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +8000 | +1200 | +900 | +650 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +1300 | +1600 | +3000 | +1600 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +1800 | +1600 | +1400 | +1300 |
| Minnesota Twins | +3500 | +2200 | +1800 | +1800 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +3500 | +2500 | +2200 | +1900 |
| San Francisco Giants | +6000 | +2500 | +4500 | +100000 |
| San Diego Padres | +950 | +4500 | +20000 | +100000 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +20000 | +4500 | +20000 | +40000 |
| New York Yankees | +750 | +5000 | +80000 | — |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +17000 | +5500 | +6500 | +3500 |
| Miami Marlins | +7500 | +5500 | +13000 | +5000 |
| Seattle Mariners | +1900 | +6000 | +1500 | +3500 |
| Cleveland Guardians | +2200 | +7000 | +40000 | — |
| Boston Red Sox | +6000 | +7000 | +30000 | — |
| Los Angeles Angels | +4500 | +7500 | +100000 | — |
| Chicago Cubs | +9000 | +10000 | +4500 | +5500 |
| New York Mets | +950 | +13000 | +80000 | — |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +1600 | +60000 | +100000 | — |
| Detroit Tigers | +25000 | +80000 | +100000 | — |
| Chicago White Sox | +4000 | +100000 | +100000 | — |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +25000 | +100000 | +100000 | — |
| Kansas City Royals | +20000 | +100000 | — | — |
| Washinton Nationals | +50000 | +100000 | +100000 | — |
| Colorado Rockies | +50000 | +100000 | +100000 | — |
| Oakland Athletics | +50000 | +100000 | — | — |
Basics of MLB Futures
Betting on the World Series is available all season long in the form of futures bets. It’s simple — find a team that you like and bet on them at their odds to win it all. For example, the Braves were +1000 to win the World Series before the start of the 2021 season. If you bet $100 on Atlanta to win it all before the season began, you would have won $1000 with a total payout of $1100. A $10 bet would have netted you $100.
Futures bets may also include the winner of the American League, National League, and each division. Some sportsbooks delve deeper with “prop bets” on individual achievements, such as who will lead the Majors in home runs, wins, strikeouts, etc.
Generally, books take bets on futures in between game action. When teams are competing on a full slate of night games, your sportsbook of choice might hold off on updating odds in the event there is a catastrophic injury or another event that might change the prospects of a contender.
Here is a quick summary of how the odds are displayed for MLB Futures bets:
- Some sportsbooks will use a system that shows the odds as 5/1, while some display them as +500. This is just semantics, as both systems indicate that a winning $100 bet on the team would cash out at 5x that amount ($500).
- Odds can also be split into fractions. A team may be listed as a 9/2 favorite on one book, which is the same as a +450 favorite, i.e. a winning ticket pays out 4.5x the amount of the bet.
History of MLB futures
Placing a long shot Futures bet on baseball is a very risky proposition. In NBA betting, for one, it’s almost akin to throwing away your money. The NFL is a bit more unpredictable with its single-elimination postseason, and the MLB is somewhere in between.
Rarely has a team come out of “nowhere” to win the World Series over the past several years, but plenty of fringe contenders have started the season with long odds before getting hot at the right time. According to archives compiled by Caesars Sportsbook, the Kansas City Royals were listed with +3300 odds to win it all during the first month of the 2015 season. Those odds dropped to +1400 in May, +1000 in June, and were down to +550 by the time the playoffs began.
In 2014, the San Francisco Giants opened the season with +2500 World Series odds and went on to win it all. The Boston Red Sox were getting +2800 odds prior to the 2013 season, and the St. Louis Cardinals were getting +2500 odds prior to the 2011 season.
Hence, there is value in placing a small bet on an underdog early in the season. There is a chance that an unexpected champion is crowned, but it is not guaranteed in today’s MLB due to the importance of pitching in the postseason.
Recent World Series winners and preseason odds
Here is a look back at the last five World Series champions along with a consensus of the winner’s preseason odds. The 2020 regular season was reduced to 60 games as a result of the global pandemic. It also included an expanded playoff field.
| Year | Team | Preseason Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Houston Astros | +700 |
| 2021 | Atlanta Braves | +1400 |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +450* |
| 2019 | Washington Nationals | +2000 |
| 2018 | Boston Red Sox | +1300 |
Other ways to bet on the World Series
For those with wagering experience in other sports, much of the baseball terminology and concepts will be familiar. However, as with all sports, there are certain bet types and props that naturally are particular to the individual sport.
Here are the various ways to get a wager down on the World Series.
- Moneyline: As with other sports, the moneyline represents the odds of a team winning a game. A “minus” sign indicates the favorite. The number next to the minus sign represents the amount of money a bettor would need to wager to win a theoretical amount of $100. A “plus” sign indicates the underdog. The amount next to the plus sign represents the amount of money a bettor would win on a theoretical amount of $100.
- Run line: Typically set at either -1.5 or +1.5, the run line functions much like the point spread in other sports. In a conventional run line scenario, the favored team must win by two or more runs or the underdog must lose by two runs or less in order for the run line to be covered. Odds are assigned next to the favorite (which is designated with a run line of -1.5) and underdog (which is designated with a run line of +1.5).
- Total runs (over/under): The total combined number of runs projected to be scored in the game by both teams. As with other sports, bettors can place bets on the total either being exceeded or being greater than the amount of total runs scored.
- Series line: With baseball usually being played in multi-game series between two teams — three- or four-game series being the most common — wagers are also available on which team will emerge as the winner in each matchup.
- Player props: A variety of wagers based on individual players reaching certain benchmarks within a game or in a season. Seasonal examples include over/under wagers on the number of hits, extra-base hits or home runs a player might hit in a season. In-game examples include over/under wagers on the number of hits, walks or home runs a player might hit in a game.
- Team props: A variety of wagers based on teams reaching certain benchmarks within a game. Examples include over/under wagers on whether a team will score a team will score a certain amount of runs in a game. Or, how many runs a team will score by a certain inning within a game.
- Parlays: Parlay wagering is defined as a series of bets that must all be correct in order for a bettor to be paid. Parlay bets feature more favorable odds and payouts due to the increased difficulty involved in predicting multiple outcomes correctly.
For states that have yet to legalize online betting, you can also play MLB daily fantasy sports or check out free-to-play betting sites, like these California sports betting apps that offer social wagering.
MLB betting FAQ
Where can I bet on the World Series in the US?
Currently, there are 30 states that offer some form of legal sports betting. Residents of those states can use best sports betting sites (if available) or casino sportsbooks to place legal, real-money bets. In 2023, Kentucky sports betting apps will launch and join this list of MLB betting states.
Who is the favorite to win the World Series in 2023?
The 2022 World Series champion Houston Astros are the early favorite to repeat with +600 odds. The Yankees and Braves, both at +750, are close behind. Count the LA Dodgers among the early favorites as well with +850 odds. The defending NL champion Phillies currently sit in the middle of the pack at +1700.
Expect these future odds to shift once the regular season begins. In 2022, the Astros were sitting at +1000 in early April. By Oct. 5, their odds shifted to +425. Only the Dodgers (+350) had shorter odds.