With the offseason moves the Los Angeles Dodgers made; they are well-positioned to repeat as World Series champions. This is proven by the Dodgers’ opening season win total of 103.5. The next closest team in the big leagues for expected wins is Atlanta at 93.5, a full 10 games back.
But once you make the postseason and the seeds are announced, all the teams competing start the same as L.A. at 0-0 and need to win 12 to 15 times, just like the Dodgers.
But baseball is a fickle friend/foe, what looks good in March doesn’t look the same in September and October. The person who can plug information into your favorite AI tool and see what it says might figure this out. Here are the most likely candidates to give them a run.
Here is our list of possibilities and why.
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Atlanta Braves
If Healthy, Atlanta Can Compete
In 2023, no team in baseball saw its everyday lineup play as often and be as productive as Atlanta. Players on that team, young and older, saw many have career years. That increased excitement for last season, but the injuries just kept coming. That altered the production and many players went back to career norms or lower for a variety of reasons.
It is not wise to judge the Braves until Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies are back on the daily lineup card this season. Besides these two, Matt Olsen and Austin Riley have to rebound from off years because the rest of the batting order has holes outside of DH Marcell Ozuna.
Losing Max Fried was not a good outcome, but he was extremely inconsistent in 2024 with a loss of velocity. It’s unlikely Chris Sale can duplicate his Cy Young season, but if Spencer Strider and some of the young pitchers who were brought up improve, this is a potentially dangerous club by late in the season.
Atlanta knows they can compete with the Dodgers at their best. The front office will make a move if needed in July via a trade, the Braves just need things to come together and have fewer ailments.
New York Yankees
Hoping the Sum of the Parts Overcomes Soto’s Departure
The Yankees bats were silenced in the World Series and that can happen when you are a power-laden team that can score in bunches with long bombs.
Losing Juan Soto and knowing Aaron Judge presses too much in the postseason are not easily fixable. However, the Pinstripes might have not kept a stud hitter, but they added Paul Goldschmidt, who might have a year or two left, a revitalized Cory Bellinger, and pitchers Max Fried and reliever Devin Williams.
Goldy’s always had opposite field power and he and Bellinger should enjoy the wind naturally carrying balls out to right field. What this Yankees’ team needs is more guys on base which sets up the power hitters and develops different ways to score instead of launching shots over the wall.
In the World Series, the Dodgers made more contact and their pitchers got out of innings better than the Bronx Bombers. To return to the Fall Classic, the New York roster requires improvement in key areas to set up a rematch.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Pieces are there, can Philadelphia Make it a Phillies/Eagles Sweep?
Since making the World Series three years ago, Philadelphia put together two strong regular seasons and, like a meteor, flamed out in the postseason. With the existing talent either in or just outside its prime years, this might be Philadelphia’s last chance with this core group of players to win a championship.
As everyone knows, timing is everything. The Phillies hit the 2022 postseason sizzling and were a surprise World Series participant. The past two October’s the necessary extra gear wasn’t there.
The Phils’ everyday lineup can match the Dodgers’ production. It would be helpful if Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos played as loose as they did in their stops and put up better numbers.
The Philadelphia starting staff and rotation have the right hurlers and GM Dave Dombrowski has shown a willingness to mix things up to try and reach the finish line, with mixed results.
For the Braves, Yankees, and Phillies, it’s a matter of positioning in the regular season. Then making the right trade in July, and having a collective team effort to elevate themselves if the Dodgers are as good as expected. Because it’s baseball, it’s possible.
How To Sign up at an Online Sportsbook
- Pick a Site: Bet365 Sportsbook, BetMGM Sportsbook and Caesars Sportsbook are some examples of top-rated online sportsbooks.
- Sign Up: Register your account. You’ll need to provide some basic information about yourself.
- Make a Deposit: Deposit funds into your account with your preferred payment method. Many online sportsbooks accept credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), debit cards, bank wire transfers, e-wallets (PayPal, Skrill, Neteller) and even crypto payment options (Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum).
- Place Your Wagers: Know what sports betting operators are offering. Once you have selected your desired Major League Baseball market, you can bet on all of your favorite teams and players, including who will be named the pennant winner or who will win the World Series.
Quick Facts for the Last 6 World Series Champions
- 2024: The New York Yankees were listed at -150 to win the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were listed at +130. The Yankees clinched the series in six games, securing their first championship since 2009.
- 2023: The Texas Rangers were listed at -165 to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks. In Game 5, which won them the series, they had to overcome a no-hit bid from Arizona’s starter. They were evidently a resilient team.
- 2022: The Houston Astros were listed at -200 to win their series versus the Philadelphia Phillies. This win is memorable because of the dominance of its pitching. Houston won Game 4, for example, with a combined no-hitter, which is an extremely rare feat in Major League history.
- 2021: The Houston Astros were listed at -140 to win its series against the Atlanta Braves, which was listed at +120. The Braves won the series in six games. Atlanta is a great example of a team getting hot at the right time. The Braves were the only postseason team that hadn’t won 90 regular season games.
- 2020: The Los Angeles Dodgers were listed at -210 to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays. This will always be known in Major League history as the COVID-era title, due to taking place during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Teams had to endure ridiculous obstacles, such as extended player absences, as a result of dealing with the virus. L.A. won its first title since 1988.
- 2019: The Houston Astros were listed at -235 to win its series against the Washington Nationals, which was listed at +195. The Nationals won the series in seven games. This win was memorable for them because, 50 games into the season, they were twelve games below .500. They also proved to be a clutch team, as part of their overcoming a 3-2 series deficit.
How To Bet on the 2025 World Series
First, you should know what the best sportsbooks are. You can do this by checking out our comprehensive reviews of all the top online sports betting sites in the United States.
2025 World Series Betting Strategy
When betting on the World Series, you’ll want to think about what goes into the stats that you look at when deciding what to bet.
The main point here is that the stats that we look at are not as useful as they first seem. In fact, they are often misleading.
This is so in two respects. One, the stats that we most easily encounter are season-long stats. This is a problem because the season in baseball is very long. Teams start playing at the end of March and yet the World Series takes place in October.
Teams — as well as the players that make up those teams — will change in several respects. They will improve or get worse. They will get worse or improve in different ways that will become relevant to know in a given game. For example, they might become worse against left-handed pitching. They might become better in general.
As such, statistics that were shaped by games taking place so long ago in March or April certainly lose their relevance. That’s why, to make my point clear, nobody considers stats from previous seasons when considering what bets to place in a game this season.
Consider Every Factor
My best piece of advice for bettors is to progress past thinking about who will win. This is what novices do because they are not familiar with the concept of betting value. Those who bet longer recognize that prices are crucial to sports betting in general. This is because we are playing with a bankroll and we are trying to win money — “bankroll” and “money” are of course quantifiable terms, so we have to think in terms of quantities.
If we focus on being open-minded about investing in underdog teams and long shots, then we can achieve larger payouts and create a larger margin of error for ourselves. If we get too comfortable with betting on favorites, then we have fewer games to lose until we reach a certain deficit. Of course, some favorites are worth investing in.
My point here is to focus on getting good prices. If a team is, in your mind, not favored strongly enough, then you should consider betting on it even if it is priced highly. That being said, for individual games, I can’t stomach the thought of investing in a moneyline at -150 or greater. If you are so confident in a team that you want to invest in it at such a price, then you must be confident that it will win by multiple runs. Therefore, you should play that team on the run-line.
Focus on Recent Regular Season or Postseason Stats
So, you’ll want to look at more recent stats, restricting their calculations to more recent months.
Teams also might get hot in the postseason, which should lead you to consider restricting yourself to focusing on even more recent periods.
Dig into Performance Metrics
The stats we normally encounter are also deceptive because they conceal a lot of what is going on. For example, an “out” leads to a batter being 0-for-1. But “0-for-1” does not account for how that batter failed to hit.
There is a big difference between a hitter who softly grounds out and a hitter who rockets a ball that happens to find the glove of an opposing fielder.
When considering what bets to place, you’ll want to look beneath the surface, at metrics like xSLG (expected slugging rate) to see how hitters and lineups are truly performing. For pitchers, my favorite metric is FIP, which is like ERA but factors out fielding.
Moreover, you’ll want to look at specific matchups. For example, it might be tempting to bet on a team with a great lineup, but even the best lineups have weaknesses. For example, you should look at whether they perform well against left-handed pitchers when they are facing a left-handed starter.
Monitor Line Movements
My final piece of advice is to monitor games you’re interested in for any changes that take place. If you suddenly see a significant line movement, then this likely means that something occurred that could alter your betting decision. A team might, for example, switch starting pitchers at the last minute.
Think About Your Bankroll
My next piece of advice is to think about bankroll. It is fun to think about games because games are fun and entertaining, but we have to do the “grind work” of thinking about finances, too, because finances are what allow us to have fun betting on games in the first place.
My recommendation here is to be what is called a flat bettor. You should wager the same amount in order to avoid taking too great a loss in a given game.
While losing is hard, you can’t be afraid to lose. Scared money does not make money. You have to bet within your limits so that you can be sure to have fun and just relish your freedom after you’ve done the hard work of handicapping.
Understanding Postseason Strategy
Postseason baseball is different from the regular season.
Teams might rely on starters to come out of the bullpen. They might lean on just a couple of relievers. If the latter is the case, then you’ll want to consider whether those relievers are fresh or not.
Remember the basic betting fundamentals of setting a budget. Be sure to monitor things like player injuries and weather and bet with your head, not your heart. Finally, have fun while you’re wagering.
What is the World Series?
Every baseball postseason culminates with the World Series. It is equivalent, in its importance, to the NFL’s Super Bowl in the sense that the winning team will be crowned champion of that season.
The significance of the World Series is palpable while it’s being played. As a spectator, one feels a certain intensity and gravity that do not exist at least to the same extent during regular season games. In the World Series, everything is on the line, so players give their very best and the fans are moved by higher levels of nervousness and anticipation.
Because of the World Series’ significance, it is more likely to be memorable. The amazing plays — dives, leaps, etc. — that take place throughout the entire baseball season adopt greater significance in the World Series because of their consequences. Many of baseball’s greatest moments, therefore, are considered to have taken place in the World Series.
One example of such a moment is Jim Leyritz’s home run in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series, which helped shift the momentum of that series to his team’s side. His Yankees would go on to win the series. If he had hit that home run in the regular season against the same team, then it would not be remembered today. But he’s now considered a legend because he hit it during the World Series.
Jim Leyritz was a New York Yankee. His ability to help his team win the 1996 World Series is just one moment in the franchise’s long stretch of success. The Yankees, in total, have captured 27 World Series titles, 16 more than the Cardinals in second place.
The Yankees’ first World Series title came in 1923. As historically extensive as the Yankees’ World Series success has been, the history of the World Series goes much further back. The year of the first World Series is 1903. The Boston Americans defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in what was back then a best-of-nine series.
The Road to the World Series
Getting to the World Series requires teams to make the playoffs in the first place. The MLB playoffs have recently undergone an expansion, making playoff qualification a real possibility for more teams at later points in the baseball season.
There are twelve teams in total that make the playoffs. There are six teams from the American League (AL) and six from the National League (NL).
One way in which a team makes the playoffs is by being a division winner. There are three divisions in each league, so there will be three division winners per league.
Wild Card Teams
There will also be three Wild Card teams in each league. To earn a Wild Card berth, a team must have one of the three best regular season records in its respective league, excluding the division winners. There are a total of six Wild Card teams in the MLB postseason.
Seeding
After making the playoffs, the next step on the path to the World Series is to win every round up until the World Series itself. The top two seeds in each league will have one less round to win because they get a first-round bye.
The other teams will play as follows: the third seed against the sixth seed and the fourth seed against the fifth seed. The number one seed will face the winner of the latter series and the second seed will be the winner of the former series.
The World Series is won by the team that wins four games against its World Series opponent. The league champion team with the best record will get home-field advantage. If both teams have the same league record, then a sequence of tiebreakers is available to determine who will get it. The first tiebreaker is which team has won more games against the other.
How To Read MLB Betting Lines & Odds
Moneylines
You are betting on the outright winner. This can be the winner of an individual game or series.
For example, the Boston Red Sox ML might be -300 in a given regular season game against the San Francisco Giants. A $100 bet on Boston to beat San Francisco would net you $133.33 in total winnings — including your original stake — if Boston wins.
Run Lines
With this bet type, you are betting on a team to cover the spread.
For example, if the Yankees’ run line is +1.5 in a given game, then those who play this will win if the Yankees win or if they lose by only one run. If you bet on the Phillies’ run line at -1.5, then you’ll need the Phillies to win by at least two runs.
Totals Bets
You are betting on the number of runs that both teams combine for.
For example, let’s say that the over/under for a given game is seven runs. By betting on the “under,” you are wagering that both teams will combine for fewer than seven runs. An “over” bet amounts to saying that both teams will score a combined total of more than seven runs.
A “push” happens when the final score of a game equals the over/under. If this game ends with seven runs exactly, then you’ll just get your money back.
Prop Bets
There are a variety of different bets, such as the number of strikeouts, how long a pitcher will last and so on. There are game prop bets, team prop bets and individual player prop bets available at most major online sports betting sites.
For example, you might want to wager that Bryce Harper will have multiple hits in a given game.
First Five Innings Bets
You are betting on the outcome of the first five innings. This will be an appropriate bet if you like the starting pitcher matchups but not the team’s respective bullpen.
For example, if the Dodgers are playing the Yankees and you think that James Paxton will outperform Carlos Rodon, then you might play the Dodgers but stick to a first five bet.
Live Betting Markets
A game’s odds will shift throughout its duration, such that the odds no longer match the pre-game odds.
For example, let’s say that the Yankees betting line is +250 before the game. In the first inning, they might race out to a 2-0 lead. The live Yankees ML might become +150.
But their opponent’s in-game betting odds would become more attractive, so you might consider wagering on their opponent because teams that race out to early leads often still lose the game. There’s a lot that can happen leading up to the ninth inning.
You should engage in live betting because many opportunities become available that were not available before a given game. There are circumstances to consider here that can take place in a baseball game. For example, if you really like a team’s starting pitcher and you see that that pitcher is racing through innings with a low pitch count, then you might want to invest in that team for the full game.
MLB World Series Odds FAQs
Can I attend a World Series game?
You can attend the World Series, but it is hard to do. You won’t know where the World Series will be located until the respective AL and NL winners are determined. You’ll have to be able to make last-minute plans. You’ll have an advantage if your schedule is flexible.
When will I know which teams are playing in the World Series?
You’ll know when the winner of the AL and the winner of the NL are determined. These are the two Major League Baseball teams that will compete in the World Series.
How many games are in the World Series?
Major League Baseball’s World Series is a best-of-seven playoff, consisting of up to seven games. The team that wins four games first is declared the champion. This format has been in place since 1905, with the exception of 1919, 1920 and 1921, when it was a best-of-nine series.
Are World Series games still nine innings?
Yes, the rules for baseball remain mostly in place. One change is that the extra-runner rule for extra innings will no longer apply.
Can I bet on the World Series now?
You can bet on the MLB World Series throughout the season, including during the offseason, regular season and postseason. The World Series odds are typically available quickly after the conclusion of the previous season and these odds are updated regularly by top betting sites like Caesars, Bet365 and BetWay Sportsbook.
