Spring training is a wrap, Opening Day is here, and the attention of MLB bettors is swinging to World Series odds.
There was a flurry of offseason moves, as teams look to dethrone the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers and improve their 2021 World Series betting odds. The Dodgers solidified their place atop the World Series futures, thanks to the addition of stud pitcher Trevor Bauer, but that has created some tempting prices behind L.A. on the MLB futures board.
Let's look at the current 2021 World Series odds.
Odds to win the 2021 World Series
Odds above are up-to-date and reflect the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Compare MLB futures odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
World Series futures action report
Biggest climb: New York Mets
As of March 31, the most noteworthy offseason upward trajectory at PointsBet USA comes from the New York Mets. "After signing (shortstop) Francisco Lindor and adding to their pitching rotation, the Mets' odds are currently at +1,000 to win the World Series, from an opening at +2,500," PointsBet sports analyst Mike Korn said.
Furthest fall: Tampa Bay Rays
Korn pointed to the Sunshine State for a team heading the wrong direction on the World Series odds board as the 2021 regular season arrives. "The team to see the biggest fall during the MLB offseason has been the Tampa Bay Rays," Korn said. "After losing a couple of their big players, the Rays are currently out to +2,500 to win the World Series, from an opener of +1,200."
Team to watch: Toronto Blue Jays
Korn pointed north of the border for this category, to the Toronto Blue Jays. "After making some noise in the offseason, the Jays are the second choice to win the AL East, behind the Yankees, and have seen their odds to win the World Series shift all the way into +2,000 from an opener of +4,500," Korn said.
Favorites to win 2021 World Series
The top of the World Series odds board has been fairly stable, though there have been some adjustments from the opening nummbers.
The talent-rich Los Angeles Dodgers remain the 2021 World Series favorites at PointsBet USA, where after the February 5 signing of reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer, the Dodgers moved from +450 to +350 to repeat as champions. With the season about to start, the Dodgers remain the +350 favorites.
The New York Yankees sit second in the World Series odds, at +550 heading into Opening Day after opening +600. The Yankees hope to avoid the rash of injuries that plagued their powerful lineup in 2020, and they always have massive backing from the betting public, which blindly bets the Bronx Bombers' futures odds every season.
The San Diego Padres are third on the PointsBet odds board at +800, after opening +1,100. The Padres are coming off a season in which their bats put MLB teams on notice and an offseason in which they went out and acquired high-level pitching arms in Blake Snell and Yu Darvish.
The Atlanta Braves drifted from a +850 opener to +1,000, the co-fifth choice along with the New York Mets and Chicago White Sox.
Understanding World Series futures odds
Sportsbooks will post odds for the World Series as early as the day after the end of the previous MLB postseason. These odds are constantly adjusted throughout the offseason as players get hurt or are suspended or traded. Once the season begins, title odds will change as often as daily as teams win and lose games and as players get hurt or suspended. Sportsbooks will also adjust MLB futures odds based on handle and liability to certain teams.
World Series futures odds will usually look like this:
- Tampa Bay Rays +210
This means that on a $100 bet, you'll stand to profit $210 if the Rays win the World Series. If it's close to the end of the regular season or during the playoffs and if there is a very dominant team, you might see that a team is has a minus sign (-) ahead of its odds.
- Los Angeles Dodgers -120
This means that you would need to bet $120 to win $100 on a Dodgers championship.
Above we have posted the American odds for MLB futures. However, these are easy to convert to decimal odds or fractional odds with our odds converter tool.
How to bet on MLB futures odds
There are a few different ways to bet on professional baseball futures odds. One way is by selecting the winner of the World Series. You're able to do this from basically after the final out of the previous year's World Series all the way through to next year's playoffs.
There are many other baseball futures markets to dive into as well, such as odds to win the National League and American League pennants, odds to win each division within both the NL and AL, and by taking the Over or Under on a team's total wins for the season. Some sportsbooks will also offer markets on player awards such as the MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year.
Get more baseball betting strategies in our How to Bet section and join the conversation with thousands of serious baseball bettors in our MLB Betting Forum.
Where can I bet on World Series odds?
You can bet on MLB and World Series odds at every online and casino sportsbook. Find ratings and reviews for the best sportsbooks for betting on baseball futures in your area.
