It's September. We have one month of regular-season baseball left on the docket, and there is still plenty waiting to unfold.
No division leader owns a double-digit-game lead in the standings. Other than the Los Angeles Dodgers clutching a commanding lead in the 2026 World Series odds, much is up in the air.
MLB odds still have the Dodgers as the overall favorites, which will likely be the case even if they don't appear as dominant as perhaps that probability suggests.
- Key Takeaways:
- Dodgers way out in front
- Phillies can't be discounted
- AL Wild-Card chaos
World Series winner odds 2026
| Player |  |
|---|---|
 Los Angeles Dodgers |
32% |
 Milwaukee Brewers |
12% |
 New York Yankees |
10% |
 Tampa Bay Rays |
7% |
 Philadelphia Phillies |
6% |
 Atlanta Braves |
6% |
 Boston Red Sox |
6% |
 Chicago Cubs |
5% |
 Chicago White Sox |
3% |
 Houston Astros |
3% |
Odds last updated on 9-1. Odds from Polymarket. Use our Polymarket promo code (COVERS) for a $20 trading bonus when you deposit at least $10 as a new user.
MLB World Series favorite: Dodgers (32%)
What's there to say about the Los Angeles Dodgers? They're the "Death Star." They're leaps and bounds above the field, as they have been for much of the season.
Their 32% probability at Polymarket hasn't budged over the last few weeks despite some rough waters. The Milwaukee Brewers have baseball's best record (a familiar tale that likely doesn't sit well with Brewer faithful considering how last season went), but the Dodgers are built for the long game.
While the team is showing its age in some areas (Mookie Betts has clearly lost a step offensively, and Kyle Tucker's Hollywood debut hasn't gone according to plan), the Dodgers have so many ways to hurt you, especially in a shortened series.
With Tarik Skubal joining the pitching staff at the trade deadline, L.A. will follow him with some combo of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Blake Snell in a playoff rotation.
The Dodgers finished with the third-best record in the NL in 2025 and subsequently faced little resistance, losing one game across three series (including a sweep of the Brewers in the NLCS) before winning the Fall Classic.
Yes, the Dodgers perhaps should have lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, but they didn't, and the 2026 World Series odds won't drop significantly for them unless they're behind in a postseason series.
Teams to watch
Phillies (6%)
The Philadelphia Phillies were left for dead relatively early on, but unlike the New York Mets, they have rebounded to re-enter the playoff race with authority. Winners of five straight and eight of 10, the Phillies trail the flailing Atlanta Braves by just four games in the NL East.
Anchored by a rotation that, like the Dodgers, will be tough to beat in October, Philadelphia is riding a veteran-laden team to success.
The Bryce Harper era has been largely successful, with four consecutive trips to the postseason, but they haven't won the big one, coming up short in 2022 against the Houston Astros.
AL Wild Card
While I could use this space to focus solely on the Cleveland Guardians, who have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games, the logjam behind the division leaders is very busy. Plus, the Guardians could realistically snipe the AL Central from the Chicago White Sox.
The New York Yankees are fairly safe as the top Wild Card, and the Boston Red Sox have a bit of a cushion. But then, four teams (Orioles, Rangers, Blue Jays, Twins) are within 3.5 games of the Guardians for the final spot, and three more (Mariners, Tigers, Royals) are within 7.5.
MLB World Series futures predictions
The Los Angeles Dodgers are rightly favored to win the World Series, and you can certainly justify picking them with a rotation that now features Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto at the top, but the value lies elsewhere.
| Bet | Odds | Bet date | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves |
8.3% | May 11 | 0.5 |
 Detroit Tigers |
3.85% | February 26 | 0.25 |
The Atlanta Braves have stumbled, but still hold onto the top spot in the NL East... for now. Still, they have an inside track at reaching the postseason, whether as a division winner or as a Wild Card. The Phillies are surging, but Atlanta isn't likely to fall completely out of the race.
The same can't be said for the Detroit Tigers, who are among those teams chasing Cleveland in the AL wild-card race but have also gone 2-8 in their last 10. Their season can reasonably be characterized as an unmitigated disaster despite a +55 run differential. Even if the Tarik Skubal trade is good in the long run, it can't wash out the bitter taste of 2026.
Popular MLB futures markets
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Past World Series winners
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2025 World Series by toppling the Toronto Blue Jays in an epic seven-game series.
Here are the last 10 World Series winners, along with their opening odds.
| Season | Winner | Opening odds | Runner up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
+240 |  Toronto Blue Jays |
| 2024 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
+350 | New York Yankees |
| 2023 |  Texas Rangers |
+5000 |  Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 2022 | Houston Astros |
+800 | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 2021 | Atlanta Braves |
+1000 | Houston Astros |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
+600 | Tampa Bay Rays |
| 2019 |  Washington Nationals |
+1800 | Houston Astros |
| 2018 | Boston Red Sox |
+1200 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2017 | Houston Astros |
+1600 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2016 | Chicago Cubs |
+1050 |  Cleveland Guardians |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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World Series Odds FAQs
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the current favorites over the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers.
The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games to win the 2025 World Series.
The World Series has been a best-of-seven series with a 2-3-2 format since 1922.
Since 2017, home-field advantage has been awarded to the team with the better winning percentage in the regular season.
The cash-strapped Florida Marlins entered the 2003 season with +7,500 odds to win it all after finishing four games below .500 the year before. Oddsmakers seemed to be right as the club got off to a sluggish 16-22 start, but a managerial change and some inspired play led to a second half surge and the Fish downed the heavily-favored Yankees in six games in the Fall Classic.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have the best odds to win the 2026 World Series after winning in 2024 and 2025.
World Series odds are calculated based on a team’s perceived likelihood of winning, factoring in metrics like roster strength, pitching depth, injuries, schedule difficulty, betting volume, and historical performance. Oddsmakers use advanced models and market trends to set the opening lines. As the season progresses and bets come in, the odds shift to reflect team performance and public sentiment.
Preseason favorites win the World Series far less often than you'd expect. In the last 20 seasons, only a handful of top preseason favorites have gone on to win it all. Baseball is highly unpredictable, with injuries, midseason trades, and postseason volatility playing a huge role. Underdogs like the 2023 Texas Rangers (+5000 preseason) have proven that even long shots can go the distance.
Yes, most sportsbooks offer World Series MVP odds once the Fall Classic matchup is set. You can bet on individual players before the series begins. As games are played, live MVP odds may be updated. Keep in mind, only players from the two World Series teams are eligible, and the award is often based on clutch performance, stats, and narrative impact across the series.
