The World Series odds are no joke this year. And while the birds are chirping and spring is here, a more sinister hunt to rule MLB is ramping up. There are lots of contenders in 2024, too.
Thanks to a glorious offseason that saw the Dodgers sign Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles is favored in the World Series odds. After the Dodgers, the Braves, Yankees, and Astros are next in the odds to win it all.
Who Is Favored To Win The 2024 World Series?
Team | Odds |
---|---|
LA Dodgers | +265 |
Atlanta Braves | +450 |
Baltimore Orioles | +550 |
NY Yankees | +600 |
Philadelphia Phillies | +750 |
Texas Rangers | +1100 |
Houston Astros | +1600 |
Seattle Mariners | +2000 |
Minnesota Twins | +2200 |
Cleveland Guardians | +2800 |
Odds as of May 21st, 2024 11:54am EDT. |
Odds Shark's MLB Resources
Why The Dodgers Hold Top Spot In World Series Odds
Shohei. Ohtani. There's your answer. The Dodgers were already a contender for the '24 World Series, then they signed Ohtani, the most coveted free agent in MLB history. The sportsbooks loved that (shocker!), and the Dodgers are favored.
Picture Ohtani in a lineup featuring Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. There's a chance they just crush their way to a 'chip on offense alone. And, in the early goings, the hit parade has begun. Betts is the early chalk to win NL MVP, so expect L.A. to coast to an NL West title and beyond.
Why The Braves Can Win the 2024 World Series
Atlanta was dominant during the '23 regular season, bashing its way to a 104-58 record. The playoffs weren't as kind to the Braves, but there's little doubt in this club's talent for the next several years.
With all their star players under contract, the Braves will be ready to rock again in 2024, boasting a lineup featuring NL MVP Ronald Acuna, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, Sean Murphy, and Marcell Ozuna.
If there's any downside, it's that Atlanta's ace Spencer Strider suffered a UCL sprain early in the season. With no timeline for his return, other Braves starters, such as Max Fried and Chris Sale, must step up. Yet even with a few key pieces on the injured list, Atlanta has shown no signs of slowing.
Expect the Braves to be big-time contenders in October yet again.
2024 World Series Value Bets
Philadelphia Phillies: Always a contender
The Phils always seem to be in the thick of every World Series race. In 2023, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber seemed destined to slug Philadelphia into the Fall Classic, until the Arizona Diamondbacks surged from behind to knock off Philly in a seven-game NLCS.
But like the Braves, the Phillies didn't cough up too much in free agency and freely ran it back for the '24 season. Zack Wheeler is the NL Cy Young chalk, while Aaron Nola has recovered from a bumpy few starts to even out his sexy numbers.
There's a runway for a futures bet on the Phils at a middle-of-the-pack price.
Baltimore Orioles: Will It all come together?
The O's put everyone on notice with a 101-win season in 2023. Unfortunately, Baltimore contrasted that with an immediate playoff sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers.
The Dirty Birds returned to the drawing board and armed themselves with some added firepower for 2024. Former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes now leads their rotation, while Craig Kimbrel will anchor the back end with Felix Bautista on the shelf due to injury.
And the rookies. Oh, the rookies! Colton Cowser is crushing baseballs, prompting his move to the top spot in the AL ROTY odds board. Beyond Cowser, the Orioles also have Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad, and Coby Mayo waiting in the wings.
All told the O's are a strong World Series pick, but it'd be wise to get on this futures bet now before the value shrinks.
Betting Strategy for World Series Futures
Evidence suggests waiting before placing World Series futures bets, but if you are keen on a pre-season wager, don't go with the chalk. In the last 10 seasons, only two pre-season favorites (the 2020 Dodgers and 2016 Cubs) have gone on to win the championship.
A middle-of-the-pack sweet spot has formed over the last decade or so. Four clubs (the 2017 Astros, the 2018 Red Sox, the 2021 Braves, and the 2022 Astros) all began their respective seasons with World Series odds between +1000 and +1200. I'd turn to those ranges for a pre-season bet in 2024.
Last 10 World Series Champions
Year | World Series Winner | Opening Day Odds |
---|---|---|
2023 | Texas Rangers | +3200 |
2022 | Houston Astros | +1000 |
2021 | Atlanta Braves | +1000 |
2020 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +385 |
2019 | Washington Nationals | +1600 |
2018 | Boston Red Sox | +1150 |
2017 | Houston Astros | +1175 |
2016 | Chicago Cubs | +660 |
2015 | Kansas City Royals | +3300 |
2014 | San Francisco Giants | +2500 |
2013 | Boston Red Sox | +2800 |
The biggest long shot to win the World Series in the last decade was the 2015 Kansas City Royals. The '23 Rangers weren't far behind either, with +3200 odds to win the championship.
The Royals were coming off a season in which they dominated all the way to the World Series (not losing a single playoff game on the AL side of the bracket) and then pushed the eventual champion Giants to seven games for the title. However, they weren’t getting much respect in preseason odds the next year as KC’s +3300 Opening Day odds to win the title placed the team 17th on the board at the time.
MLB Teams with the Most World Series Titles
Team | Number of World Series Titles | Most Recent World Series Title |
---|---|---|
New York Yankees | 27 | 2009 |
St. Louis Cardinals | 11 | 2011 |
Oakland/Philadelphia Athletics | 9 | 1989 |
Boston Red Sox | 9 | 2018 |
San Francisco Giants | 8 | 2014 |
The New York Yankees have won the most World Series in MLB history. However, it's been a while since the Bronx Bombers added to their total. The Yankees last won a World Series in 2009, defeating the Phillies in six games.
MLB Teams That Have Never Won a World Series
Team | Highest Finish |
---|---|
Colorado Rockies | World Series (2007) |
Milwaukee Brewers | World Series (1982) |
San Diego Padres | World Series (1998) |
Seattle Mariners | ALCS (2001) |
Tampa Bay Rays | World Series (2020) |
Five MLB franchises have yet to win a World Series. The Seattle Mariners are the only team that’s never even been to a World Series final despite having some of the league’s best-ever players like Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, and Ichiro Suzuki.