World Series Odds to Start the 2023 MLB Season

Major League Baseball is officially back, with every team’s first series in the books and a full week of games ahead as the marathon of 162 has begun.

Over the course of the next six months, division races will be decided and a playoff field will be set ahead of October. Right now, we have no idea who will be in the playoffs or how any of this will unfold, but we do know what the oddsmakers think should happen based on the odds.

World Series odds fluctuate throughout the season, but are a good indicator of which teams have what it takes to win it all. Look atop the list and you will find that the 12 teams that have the best odds to win the World Series right now are the same 12 teams that competed in the postseason.

By the end of the season, a few of those teams are sure to fall off, while others will establish themselves as World Series threats. Which underdog is worth a sprinkle and which favorite stands the best chance to win it all?

Let’s take a look at the odds entering the first full week of the MLB season and see where the value lies in betting on a World Series winner right now.

All odds were provided from BetMGM

MLB World Series Odds

• Houston Astros: +600
• Atlanta Braves: +750
• Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees: +800
• New York Mets, San Diego Padres: +900
• Toronto Blue Jays: +1200
• Philadelphia Phillies: +1600
• Seattle Mariners: +1800
• St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays: +2000
• Cleveland Guardians: +2500
• Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins: +3500
• Los Angeles Angels: +4000
• Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants: +5000
• Boston Red Sox: +6000
• Baltimore Orioles: +6600
• Chicago Cubs: +8000
• Miami Marlins: +10000
• Arizona Diamondbacks: +12500
• Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates: +20000
• Cincinnati Reds: +25000
• Colorado Rockies: +30000
• Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics: +50000

Peter Appel’s World Series Picks

Last week, our Not Gambling Advice expert, Peter Appel made his futures picks ahead of Opening Day. A lot can be learned from reading his, “2023 MLB Betting Preview: Win Totals, Odds, Projections“, where Peter gives his leans and picks on each teams win total.

Also included in the article are his picks for who will win the World Series. This is where he found the most value based on the odds that were available at the time.

When he wrote the article, the Seattle Mariners were +2000 to win the World Series. If we look at the current odds, those have already come down to +1800. That trend could only continue throughout the season, as the Mariners feature one of the most well-rounded teams in baseball, with a great starting rotation and one of the game’s best players in Julio Rodriguez.

Peter has picked the Mariners to make it out of the American League and meet the Atlanta Braves in the World Series. When we last checked the odds back in January, the Braves were sitting with +1000 odds to win it all.

Now those odds have shrunk to +750, putting Atlanta ahead of the New York Mets, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, three teams who have lost key players to injury this spring. Atlanta is a well-rounded machine, who should be a real threat to make a run.

Longshots to Watch

You can really make an argument to bet on any of the teams who went to the playoffs last year, as all have the talent to do it again. If the Phillies taught us anything, it is that once you are in the dance, you can make a run.

Still, among the non-playoff teams from last year that have longer odds, there are a few that jump out as longshots who are worth a sprinkle this time of year.

Looking at the teams with +3500 odds, you will find three fringe contenders that could make a push this season. The Milwaukee Brewers have a great starting rotation and made the playoffs four years in a row from 2018 through 2021. There is every chance that they are back in the mix again this year.

The other two teams that sit at +3500 are both part of the AL Central, where anyone can come out victorious. The Guardians are currently the favorites to win the division and have +2500 World Series odds. But the Twins and White Sox are both capable of taking them down.

One other team that is interesting to watch is the Texas Rangers. In their first series of the season, Texas swept the reigning NL champ Philadelphia Phillies, scoring 29 runs across the three-game series. The Rangers have one of the best pitchers on the planet in Jacob deGrom and are arguably the most talented middle infield with Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.

With their current odds being +5000, the Rangers are fun team to wager on as a dark horse that would have real upside if they found their way into the dance come October.