The 2023 MLB season is just around the corner and that means there are World Series odds to evaluate. A journey to hoisting the Commissioner’ss Trophy begins at spring training in February, leading to a winding road with a 162-game season and the MLB playoffs.
There won’t be any real surprises when examining the favorites to hoist the World Series trophy. After all, teams viewed as championship contenders heading into the spring typically find themselves in contention for the Fall Classic when October rolls around.
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When evaluating the World Series odds 2023, it’s important to consider recent trends across baseball and what has helped shape MLB’s champions. After providing the MLB futures for all 30 teams entering spring training, we’ll evaluate some of the options we’d like to bet on right now and some World Series favorites we’ll avoid.
World Series odds: Championship odds every MLB team
The latest World Series odds are via BetMGM. We’ll provide updates on some of the best bets and picks to avoid throughout the 2023 MLB season.
| TEAM | WORLD SERIES ODDS |
| Houston Astros | +600 |
| Atlanta Braves | +750 |
| New York Yankees | +750 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +800 |
| New York Mets | +900 |
| San Diego Padres | +950 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +1400 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +1600 |
| Seattle Mariners | +1800 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +2000 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +2200 |
| Cleveland Guardians | +2500 |
| Chicago White Sox | +3000 |
| Los Angeles Angels | +4000 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +4000 |
| Minnesota Twins | +4000 |
| San Francisco Giants | +5000 |
| Texas Rangers | +5000 |
| Boston Red Sox | +6000 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +6600 |
| Chicago Cubs | +8000 |
| Miami Marlins | +8000 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +12500 |
| Detroit Tigers | +12500 |
| Kansas City Royals | +20000 |
| Colorado Rockies | +20000 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +20000 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +25000 |
| Oakland Athletics | +50000 |
| Washington Nationals | +50000 |
Who is favored to win the World Series this year? Bet against them
The Houston Astros are favored to win the World Series 2023. It comes as no surprise, given the Astros are the reigning champions and they’ve reached the World Series in three of the past four years. With a majority of its core intact, Houston should be one of the best teams in MLB.
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However, history says to not bet on the Astros. While they are atop the World Series odds, the defending champions haven’t fared well at reclaiming their title. The 1998-2000 New York Yankees were the last team to repeat as World Series champions.
The Astros lost Justin Verlander to the New York Mets in free agency, delivering a significant blow to their rotation. Injuries are also a threat for a ballclub with a mix of older players (Jose Altuve, Jose Abreu, Michael Brantley) and others with durability concerns (Yordan Álvarez, Alex Bregman, Brantley). Houston might defend its title, but it’s not wise to bet on the favorite.
World Series odds: Best bets among the favorites
While picking a darkhorse World Series champion is fun, it rarely pays off. The Atlanta Braves had the fifth-highest odds before Opening Day 2021, while recent champions like the Dodgers, Red Sox, Cubs and Astros sat near the top of the World Series odds in their respective years.
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Keeping that in mind, here are a few of our picks among the favorites in 2023.
New York Yankees – 7650
The New York Yankees last won the World Series in 2009, going more than a decade without even winning the American League pennant. For the winningest franchise in MLB history, short trips to the postseason have become the norm as of late.
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However, New York added Cy Young candidate Carlos Rodón to its starting rotation and that dramatically improves the pitching for this club in October. The Yankees’ farm system is also deep, allowing them to add an impact bat before the MLB trade deadline. From top to bottom, this will be one of the best MLB teams in 2023.
Atlanta Braves – +750
What are the odds of the Atlanta Braves winning the World Series? The Atlanta Braves fell well short of defending their title in 2022, dropping the NLDS in four games. However, Atlanta kept its core intact coming off a 101-win season. Ronald Acuña Jr. will be healthy in 2023 after spending last season working his way back from an ACL repair and Atlanta’s pitching is as strong as ever.
While losing Dansby Swanson is a blow at shortstop, acquiring Sean Murphy will significantly help the Braves behind the plate and Vaugn Grissom showed some impressive flashes last year. Combine the talent, youth and experience on the roster and you’ve got a World Series contender worth betting on.
San Diego Padres – +950
The San Diego Padres lost the NLCS in five games to the Philadelphia Phillies, but three of the four losses were decided by two runs or fewer. While San Diego struck out on landing Aaron Judge, it dramatically improved its lineup depth with Matt Carpenter and Nelson Cruz.
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Keep in mind, San Diego is already making up for the Fernando Tatís Jr. suspension with perennial All-Star hitter Xander Bogaerts sliding in at shortstop. Tatís Jr. should be at peak form long before the playoff race, giving San Diego a lineup with multiple NL MVP candidates and excellent depth, with a strong rotation and excellent bullpen backing them.
Dart throws for World Series contenders
Toronto Blue Jays – +1400
The Toronto Blue Jays haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, so it’s no surprise to see them further down in the World Series odds. However, this team showed it was capable of competing with anyone in the American League and that was before it added Daulton Varsho, Kevin Kiermaier, Erik Swanson and Chris Bassitt.
An outfield with Varsho, Springer and Kiermaier should be outstanding defensively and excellent fielding is crucial in October. Naturally, this lineup is also more than capable of finishing top-five in runs scored and OPS. With the additions made to the playoff rotation and bullpen, Toronto is a legitimate threat to win its first World Series since 1993.
Minnesota Twins – +4000
Much like with the Blue Jays, betting on the Minnesota Twins means putting trust in a team that last won a playoff game in 2004. But Minnesota has reached the postseason in three of its last six seasons and this is going to be its best roster during that entire run.
Even reaching the Fall Classic requires Byron Buxton Carlos Correa, Jorge Polanco, Pablo Lopez, Sonny Gra and Kenta Maeda to all stay healthy. It’s a massive ask but when a talented team has World Series odds so low, it’s worth taking a chance for the upside.