What Do the Odds Tell Us About Who Will Win the World Series

The MLB playoffs are set to begin, with eight teams ready to battle it out in the Wild Card round starting today. Last year, the Philadelphia Phillies proved that even the last Wild Card team has a chance to make a run, as anything can happen in October.

Before the games begin, let’s take a look at what Vegas has to say about the odds on who will win the World Series this postseason. These odds reflect each team’s chances to win it all, which can give us an understanding on who the favorites are not only in the Wild Card round, but also throughout the playoffs.

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MLB World Series Odds

• Atlanta Braves +250
• Los Angeles Dodgers +425
• Houston Astros +500
• Baltimore Orioles +600
• Philadelphia Phillies +1200
• Tampa Bay Rays +1200
• Minnesota Twins +1800
• Texas Rangers +1800
• Milwaukee Brewers +2000
• Toronto Blue Jays +2000
• Arizona Diamondbacks +5000
• Miami Marlins +5000

If you look atop the odds for who will win the World Series right now, it is no surprise that the four teams with the best odds are the four teams who have received a bye and are already waiting in the divisional series round.

A three-game series can really go anyone’s way in baseball, so it is clear that the other eight teams who have to play in that round are going to have the worse odds because they could be eliminated by Thursday.

Among the favorites, the Braves are clearly considered the team that should win it all this season, as reflected by their +250 odds. Atlanta won more games than any team this season and has the best run differential. With a great lineup, a deep rotation and a solid bullpen, they are the team to beat.

Beyond them, we find both the Dodgers (+425) and the Astros (+500), who have the most playoff experience of the field, which pushes them ahead of the Baltimore Orioles (+600) in the odds. Baltimore was the second-best team in baseball this year based on record, but many have doubted whether they have enough pitching to get the job done in October.

Now looking at the Wild Card teams, there are a few teams who are not expected to move on past this round. The Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks each sit with +5000 odds, as they are overwhelming underdogs in their respective series against the Phillies and the Brewers.

Philadelphia is the reigning NL champs with Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola ready to headline their playoff rotation, while the Brewers have Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta. If pitching wins out, those two teams should advance past the Wild Card round.

Yet, when do the favorites actually just run away with things?

Arizona is probably the better bet to make a deep run in the playoffs of the longshots, because they have an ace in Zac Gallen, while the Marlins ace is on the shelf. Still, there is always the Marlins magic as the team has won the World Series in each of their full-season Wild Card appearances of the past.

The Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays are about to square off in the Wild Card round and sit with similar odds at +1800 for Minnesota and +2000 for Toronto. This reflects the Twins as slight favorites, as they are the home team hosting the Blue Jays in the Wild Card round.

Milwaukee also has +2000 odds, as they are expected to beat the Diamondbacks but are a bit less likely to go on a deep run. Meanwhile the two Wild Card teams who appear to have the best chance to make a deep run are the Phillies and the Rays, who both sit at +1200.

Philadelphia showed they could make a run last season, and look even better this year with Trea Turner added into the fold. The Rays won 99 games this year and have plenty of playoff experience themselves to lean on.

The best part about October baseball is that absolutely anything can happen. Which is why there is really no bad bet for who will win the World Series at this point, because any team can catch some magic in the postseason.