Baseball fans in New York have reason to be excited about the 2022 MLB betting season. It’s not often the Big Apple has two teams with a legitimate shot at a World Series.

And with sports betting in New York now live, Yankees and Mets fans in-state can legally back their teams for the first time. Following the launch of BetMGM New York on Monday, five operators are now accepting wagers in the Empire State. As well as BetMGM, you can legally bet at Caesars New York, DraftKings New York, FanDuel New York and BetRivers. It's exciting times for New York sports bettors.

Of course, the Yankees are perennial playoff qualifiers, missing the postseason just four times in the last 27 years, an astonishing record. But success for the pinstripes means getting to the World Series and winning it. The team hasn’t done either since 2009.

The Mets, meanwhile, have been to the postseason just twice in the last 15 years. They did go to the World Series in 2015, but lost in five games to the Royals.

This coming season could be different. Looking at MLB futures, each team is considered a top contender to win the championship at most major online sportsbooks.

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World Series Odds For Yankees & Mets

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Best World Series Bet: Yankees vs Mets

Each team is considered a contender, but which has the best shot at winning it all?

The Case For The Mets

The Mets have had one winning season in the last five years. It isn’t for a lack of trying, it’s for a lack of execution or chasing big names instead of team needs. Injuries haven’t helped, especially this past season when Jacob deGrom was lost for the year in the midst of an all-time type of campaign (7-2, 1.08 ERA, 146 strikeouts in 92 innings).

But deGrom is back for 2022, and it won’t be a stretch to say the Mets have the No. 1 starter in all of MLB.

What makes this season different is the Mets might have the Nos. 1 and 2 starters. New York went all-in by adding three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, stealing him from the favored Dodgers, no less. At worst, All-Star Tiajuan Walker will fill the No. 3 starter role, and the bullpen ranked ninth in ERA.

The hitting could use a little more production. The Mets last season ranked 27th in runs scored and 25th in home runs hit, while batting .239. On paper this was a much-better lineup than those stats suggest, with Francisco Lindor, Starling Marte and Pete Alonso a great base to work from.

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The Case For The Yankees

The hard-swinging Yankees ranked sixth in home runs but only 19th in scoring. Aaron Judge (39 HRs, .287 average) and Giancarlo Stanton (35, .273) were legit performers, but that was about it.

Injuries were once again a factor – Judge and DJ LeMahieu were the only regulars to play more than 135 games out of 162. Yet one can easily see the potential of a lineup that could feature Joey Gallo, Aaron Hicks and Gleyber Torres, among others.

And of course, this is the Yankees, who spend more money than anyone. They’ve already been linked to stars Carlos Correa (Astros) and Matt Chapman (Athletics), and nobody would be shocked if one or both were added to the lineup by Opening Day.

On the mound, Gerrit Cole is as good as it gets. His 16 wins led baseball and he took second in the AL Cy Young race. After him, there are questions. Jordan Montgomery (6-7, 3.83 ERA last year) and Luis Severino (four games the last two years) might be the next options at starter. The bullpen ranks No. 4 in ERA last year and should be strong again with Aroldis Chapman getting the saves and potential studs Joely Rodriguez and Jimmy Cordero setting up.

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The Competition Factor

Here’s where it gets interesting.

Every night is tough in the NL East. The Braves won the World Series last year while the Phillies, Nationals and Marlins have been consistently competitive over recent seasons. Where do the Mets fit in? They’ll compete for a top spot with Atlanta, with Philadelphia in the mix.

That’s just to get to the playoffs. Once there, the unanimous World Series odds favorite Dodgers await.

For the Yankees, it’s a total gauntlet.

The AL East last season had four of its five teams finish at least 20 games above .500. The Tampa Bay Rays won 100 games and cruised to the division pennant, with the Red Sox (92-70) and Blue Jays (91-71) nearly as strong.

Getting to the playoffs out of that group won’t be easy – Toronto missed it last year by one game. From there, it only gets tougher. At many online betting sites and betting apps, five of the top seven teams reside in the American League, with the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox leading some charts.

The Verdict: Yankees or Mets?

The Mets have to find a way to get past the Dodgers – if they get to the postseason at all. They’ve underachieved the last few seasons despite spending major money in free agency.

But if they do, their front-line rotation gives them an edge over just about anyone. The offense is a who’s who of sluggers who need to play to their potential. Perhaps new manager Buck Showalter can be the guy who puts it together. If 77-year-old Tony La Russa can get it done for the White Sox, perhaps Showalter, 65, can too.

The Yankees have a better lineup, but it has yet to stay off the injured list long enough to prove it. They have Cole, but questions after that. And the AL East and American League in general, is tougher.

The Mets have a slightly easier road to the postseason, and with deGrom and Scherzer starting four of seven possible games in a playoff series, we’re backing the Mets over the Yankees to win the 2022 World Series.

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