After their key off-season addition in ace pitcher Gerrit Cole, the New York Yankees are the oddsmakers' favorites to win it all this year with odds of +350, according to the popular online sportsbook Bet365. They are closely followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers at +400, who, of course, have recently added star right fielder Mookie Betts to their lineup.
The Houston Astros, despite playing this season under major controversy, sit next +600. A pair of NL East rivals round out the Top 5 as the Atlanta Braves come in at +1,200 and the defending-champion Washington Nationals sit at +1,400.
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Odds to win 2020 World Series
| Team | Odds to win 2020 World Series |
|---|---|
| New York Yankees | +350 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +400 |
| Houston Astros | +600 |
| Atlanta Braves | +1,200 |
| Washington Nationals | +1,400 |
| Minnesota Twins | +1,400 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +1,600 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +1,800 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +1,800 |
| New York Mets | +2,000 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +2,200 |
| Boston Red Sox | +2,500 |
| Chicago Cubs | +2,500 |
| Cleveland Indians | +2,500 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +3,000 |
| Oakland Athletics | +3,000 |
| Chicago White Sox | +3,300 |
| Los Angeles Angels | +3,300 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +4,000 |
| San Diego Padres | +4,000 |
| Texas Rangers | +6,600 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +6,600 |
| Colorado Rockies | +15,000 |
| San Francisco Giants | +25,000 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +25,000 |
| Seattle Mariners | +30,000 |
| Detroit Tigers | +100,000 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +100,000 |
| Miami Marlins | +100,000 |
| Kansas City Royals | +100,000 |
Understanding World Series futures odds
Sportsbooks will post odds for the World Series as early as the day after the end of the previous MLB postseason. These odds are constantly adjusted throughout the offseason as players get hurt or are suspended or traded. Once the season begins in late March, title odds will change as often as daily as teams win and lose games and as players get hurt or suspended. Sportsbooks will also adjust the MLB futures odds based on handle and liability to certain teams.
World Series futures odds will usually look like this:
- New York Yankees +350
This means that on a $100 bet, you'll stand to profit $350 if the Yankees win the World Series. If it's close to the end of the regular season or during the playoffs and if there is a very dominant team, you might see that a team is has a minus sign (-) ahead of its odds.
- Boston Red Sox -120
This means that you would need to bet $120 to win $100 on a Red Sox championship.
How to bet on MLB futures odds
There are a few different ways to bet on professional baseball futures odds. One way is by selecting the winner of the World Series. You're able to do this from basically after the final out of the previous year's World Series all the way through the next year's playoffs.
There are many other baseball futures markets to dive into as well, such as odds to win the National League and American League pennants, odds to win each division within both the NL and AL, and by taking the Over or Under on a team's total wins for the season. Some sportsbooks will also offer markets on player awards such as the MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year.
