2026 MLB Playoff Odds: Dodgers Considered a Lock to Reach October
Jason Wilson • Betting Analyst19+ years betting experience
Updated:
Feb 12, 2026 , 10:04 AM ET
• 6 min read
The Los Angeles Dodgers are heavy favorites to win the World Series again, so it is only natural that they are drawing considerably shorter odds than anyone else to make the playoffs.
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) celebrates with catcher Will Smith (16) after the win against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of the 2025 MLB World Series
The 2026 MLB season is approaching, as pitchers and catchers have reported, and spring training games are soon to follow.
The MLB playoff odds market is a simple "yes/no" proposition. You look at a team's odds and decide whether or not you think they'll be playing in October.
With a clean slate, let's look at how MLB odds look before any action has occurred.
The MLB playoffs expanded in the 2022 season, adding an extra wild card to both the AL and NL, making it a total of 12 teams in the postseason.
The new format will see the top two division winners in each league (Seeds 1 and 2) get a first-round bye, while the third-best division winner (Seed 3) will host the third wild card (Seed 6) — and the two remaining wild cards (Seeds 4 and 5) will face off — in a three-game series.
Following the Wild Card Round, the No. 1 seed will face the winner of the two wild cards (Seeds 4/5), while the No. 2 seed will face the No. 3 vs No. 6 winner in the Divisional Round.
If the second-best record in the league does not come from a division winner (e.g. the San Francisco Giants in 2021), they will remain the top wild card — and not get a first-round bye.
MLB Postseason Odds FAQs
The Los Angeles Dodgers are drawing the shortest odds to make the playoffs.
MLB expanded its postseason for 2022 by adding an extra wild card to each league, meaning 12 total teams now make the MLB playoffs.
The 2026 MLB postseason will begin on September 29.
Jason Wilson is an experienced journalist who has worked in a variety of roles within the industry for the past 18 years. Working at community newspapers in New Brunswick, Jason wore many hats as a reporter, editor, and photographer, covering everything from sports to courts to municipal politics. After shifting gears and working as an educator for a few years in the 2010s, Jason returned to full-time work in media as an MLB news editor for six years at theScore in Toronto before joining Covers in late 2021.
He has honed his editorial acumen over his years in the industry, showcasing flexibility, patience, and a strong work ethic. While he was relatively new to sports betting upon joining Covers, Jason has taken the plunge with gusto to learn the ins and outs of the industry, both as a method to improve professionally and to add an extra angle to his sports fandom.
In addition to sports, Jason is an avid film nut and former movie critic who monitors the Academy Awards betting odds for Covers. Jason holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism degree and a Bachelor of Education degree from St. Thomas University.
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