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MLB Futures: 2023 MLB World Series Odds

The 2023 World Series betting picture is coming into focus. The Astros, Braves, Yankees, Dodgers and Mets remain the significant favorites to win the World Series, but anything can happen in the Wild Card races.

The Astros rolled through the 2022 regular season, cruising to the AL West title and entered the postseason with the best record in the American League. Houston bounced the upstart Phillies in six games.  

Philadelphia made the World Series out of the National League as a Wild Card. The Phillies finished 14 games behind the Braves and Mets, who were tied at 101-61 after 162 games. The Phillies clinched their playoff berth with a win over Houston on the final Friday of the regular season.

The 19-win disparity between the Astros and Phillies was the second-largest in World Series history and the biggest in 116 years. This also marked the first World Series since 1950 that did not feature any Black ballplayers born in the United States. 

The Astros won 106 games in the regular season, seven more than the Yankees. The homefield edge was critical for Houston during the postseason. As was the team's pitching depth. The Astros' staff dominated baseball and led the American League in strikeouts, opponent batting average, walks per innings and the majors with a 2.78 ERA. 

We’ll see what surprises the race to the postseason holds as the World Series MLB futures betting begins in earnest at the end of the World Baseball Classic and spring training.

Can the New York Yankees win the World Series for the first time since 2009? Are the Mets forever snake-bit following the loss of Edwin Diaz? Will the San Diego Padres and Xander Bogaerts emerge out of the National League and make the World Series for the first time in 25 years? You have questions, we have answers!

MLB World Series 2023 Favorites

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and current as of March 20

Houston Astros: +600

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The Astros lost Justin Verlander to the Mets in free agency this offseason. Jose Altuve suffered a fractured thumb during the World Baseball Classic playing for his native Venezuela against the United States in March. Altuve will undergo surgery and will miss the start of the regular season. Any prolonged loss dents the Astros' lineup. Altuve hit 28 home runs, 39 doubles, and slashed .300/.387./533 in 2022.

Altuve joins Yordan Alvarez (hand) and Micheal Brantley (shoulder) among the likely missing starters on Opening Day.

The Astros should take the West - or at least reach the postseason - but they will have to rely on a largely untested pitching staff and hope for health to make it back to the World Series. 

New York Yankees: +750

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The Yankees have spent more than $4 billion in payroll this century but have just one World Series trophy to show for their financial effort. 

The 2022 season offered an all-too-typical tale for the Bombers. New York nabbed the AL East title with 99 wins, booted Cleveland in the ALDS, only to get swept by the eventual world champion Astros.

Through it all, Aaron Judge launched 62 bombs and captured AL MVP honors. But it wasn't enough. The Yankees locked down Judge in the offseason for nine years and made sure he had help in the lineup by keeping Anthony Rizzo, and keeping Carlos Rodon in the fold for six years.

But the question remains: How much good will it do in the postseason?

Atlanta Braves: +750

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The Atlanta Braves usually disappear from the World Series radar from Opening Day until Labor Day. Then, suddenly, Atlanta makes some sort of late-season surge and takes the NL East. Atlanta has won the division five years in a row. The Braves and Mets both finished with 101 wins in 2022, but the Braves won the tie-breaker.

The Braves front office has kept the team’s successful core intact by signing several team-friendly long-term deals. Atlanta added 2022 Rookie of the Year Michael Harris to the outfield. And keep an eye out for Spencer Strider in the NL Cy Young Award race. The Braves will likely add some smaller pieces up until the trade deadline, including a big-name pitcher down the stretch from a team that is selling. (Chris Sale, perhaps?).

The Braves won it all in 2021 and are always a solid investment in this market.

LA Dodgers: +850

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The Dodgers and Yankees follow a similar pattern each year. Both enter the season as a solid favorite on betting apps. Both boast big-money stars and can’t-miss lineups. And both whiff in the posteason, save for the COVID-19-abbreviated campaign in 2020 that resulted in the Dodgers' first World Series title since 1988.

The Dodgers won 111 games last season and crushed the NL West, only to lose to the San Diego Padres 3-1 in the NLDS. The Dodgers beat the Padres by 22 games in the regular season.

The Dodgers have Clayton Kershaw and Noah Syndergaard on one-year deals to anchor the rotation. J.D. Martinez joins his former Red Sox teammate Mookie Betts as the Dodgers' first-ever full-time DH. But both Turners, Trea and Justin, departed via free agency, along with Cody Bellinger.

The Dodgers have a mix of new and old faces this season. Will it be enough?

New York Mets: +950

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Mets fans played “Taps” after Edwin Diaz was lost for the season with a “it-can-only-happen-to-the-Mets” torn patellar tendon injury while celebrating Puerto Rico’s win over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. Owner Steve Cohen spent over $483 million to bulk-up the Amazin’s roster. Brandon Nimmo and Diaz were kept in Queens thanks to Cohen’s largess. The team also added 2022 AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander (his third) with a two-year, $86.7 million deal. 

The Mets’ payroll is astronomical - $264.5 million. Even with 101 wins in 2022, the Mets could not get out of the Wild Card Round against San Diego.

Injuries like the one suffered by Diaz remain the great unknown in these futures markets and serve as a reminder of just how perilous and fickle even the best-laid plans can be.

San Diego Padres: +950

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The San Diego Padres' win total of 93.5 games is third in the NL behind the Dodgers and Braves. 

The Padres should score a zillion runs thanks to the new rules concerning larger bases, the pitch clock, and limited moves to first base. MLB wants more balls in play and more runners on the basepaths. Well, good luck with a lineup that will include Fernando Tatis Jr. back from his PED suspension, Juan Soto, Manny Machado, and Xander Bogaerts. Opposing pitchers will be throwing out of the stretch from the first inning forward.

San Diego’s rotation could swing in either direction. Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Blake Snell and Michael Wacha could deliver double-digit wins each, or flop miserably. Josh Hader anchors an above-average bullpen.

The Padres are poised to topple the Dodgers in the NL West and might be able to use home-field to reach the Fall Classic. We like this price.

2023 World Series Underdog Pick

And what about underdog MLB picks for the 2023 World Series? Well, we like the Brewers...

Milwaukee Brewers: +3500

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If you’re looking for a serious long shot, the Brewers are a great value pick. The NL Central is wide open. The projected win total between Milwaukee and St. Louis is just three games. But the Brew Crew is a spectacular value at +3500 in this market when compared to the +1700 number on St. Louis.

The Brewers missed the playoff last season and dealt closer Josh Hader at the trade deadline. Their lineup lacks the punch of the Padres or star power of the Dodgers. But the Brewers are stacked where it counts the most – starting pitching. Corbin Burnes is a Cy Young contender again in 2023. He won it in 2021. And they back him up with Brandon Woodruff. That’s the sort of 1-2 pitching punch that wreaks havoc in the Wild Card or NLDS. 

This is a price worth grabbing that will only go lower during the season.

Where Can I bet on MLB World Series 2023?

Caesars Sport

Caesars Sportsbook

Caesars Sportsbook is an elite place for MLB betting. They offer competitive moneylines and over/unders on every game, but the prop market is truly out of this world. Caesars offers an unfathomable amount of hitter, pitcher and game props each night. They also bundle unique parlay odds boosts like divisional parlays, in which you can bet on the Giants, Padres and Diamondbacks to win at a boosted price.

Caesars Sport

BetMGM Sportsbook

BetMGM Sportsbook thrives with its live MLB betting options. Throughout the entire game you can bet on things like team over/unders with a variety of options, even/odd final score and a number of unique in-game wagers on top of the standard moneyline and over/under offerings.

Caesars Sport

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel Sportsbook has an interesting selection of same-game MLB parlay builders, in which bettors can bet on multiple players to hit home runs or record an RBI. They also have a daily 2X1 offering for every game, providing action on whether or not there will be two hits in the first inning of a given game.

Caesars Sport

DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings Sportsbook has one of the best mobile app interfaces in MLB betting and is extremely use-friendly. It also offers extensive prop wagers and has an excellent futures markets page, with betting on World Series, League and Divisional winners, as well as season-long award races.

BetRivers

BetRivers Sportsbook

BetRivers Sportsbook is all-in on MLB betting, with as many as 150 prop bets offered for just one game. The in-game betting options are plentiful and bettors can even get live action on every single pitch, with odds like -115 for a Strike/Foul, +200 for Ball/Hit by Pitch and +575 for In-Play.

2023 MLB World Series Futures Bets

MLB futures betting is a fluid market considering the 162-game schedule and every-day nature of baseball betting.

It’s a great way to stay invested throughout the season and also can be lucrative for savvy bettors with an idea of what certain teams will do at the trade deadline and which of them will be poised to go on a second-half run.

These bets aren’t limited to World Series champion, with a large offering of futures markets to consider for MLB betting.

Divisional Odds – MB Divisional races are incredibly exciting with games every days, and some races are far closer than others throughout the season. It’s a great way to bet and stay dialed in on a specific region. Odds vary drastically based on the standings – the Astros were -1600 in last June to win the AL West, for example, while others like the AL Central were bunched up with the White Sox (+120), Twins (+120) and Guardians (+475) at the top.

Most Valuable Player Odds – MVP futures betting for the AL and NL is always a popular market and one of the most exciting odds boards to get a glimpse of in February. There’s often value to be found deep down the board – Shohei Ohtani was +4000 to win AL MVP at the start of the 2021 season before taking the honor, and Bryce Harper was as high as +2500 in June before going on to win NL MVP.

Cy Young Award Odds – While MVP awards often have a lot to do with team success and who’s surrounding position players in the lineup, Cy Young is truly an individual award. Betting on the best pitcher in the AL and NL is another way to add a little extra interest every five days, and the races can be very close come fall.

Team Props – Team over/under win totals are one of the most anticipated odds listings ahead of spring training. The Boston Red Sox, for example, could have a season win total of 78.5. That means you can bet that the Cubs will win more or less than 79 games throughout the year. Those who pay close attention to farm systems, prospects and offseason acquisitions can have a big leg up when it comes to these types of team props.

Player Props – Player props work the same way as team props, only with individual stats. For example, you could bet that a player will hit more or less than 40 home runs in a given season or record over/under 100 RBI.

MLB World Series Betting History

  • 2022 World Series – Astros (-190) over Phillies, 4-2
  • 2021 World Series –Braves over Astros (-145), 4-2
  • 2020 World Series – Dodgers (-140) over Rays, 4-2
  • 2019 World Series – Nationals over Astros (-235), 4-3
  • 2018 World Series – Red Sox (-165) over Dodgers, 4-1
  • 2017 World Series – Astros over Dodgers (-170), 4-3
  • 2016 World Series – Cubs (-190) over Indians, 4-3
  • 2015 World Series – Royals (-110) over Mets, 4-1
  • 2014 World Series – Giants over Royals (-120), 4-3
  • 2013 World Series – Red Sox (-140) over Cardinals, 4-2
  • 2012 World Series – Giants over Tigers (-180), 4-0

2023 World Series FAQs

Where Can I bet on the 2023 MLB World Series?

Bettors in states with legal sports wagering can place 2023 MLB World Series bets at any legal, regulated sportsbook offered in the state. All online betting sites will have lucrative props and series wagers, with action available on almost any angle and updated odds after each game of the World Series.

Who are the 2023 World Series Favorites?

The Houston Astros (+600) and Atlanta Braves (+750) are currently the 2023 World Series favorites, meaning a $100 wager on the Astros would win $600 (plus the returned stake)should they win the championship.

When is the 2023 World Series?

The 2023 World Series will be played at the conclusion of the American League and National League Championship Series, with the date determined by scheduling and results of prior postseason games. It typically starts in the last week of October and could run into early November, depending on the number of games required for the best-of-seven World Series.