The 2023 World Series featured the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Rangers would win the series in five games for their first World Series championship in franchise history.

Texas opened the 2023 season with World Series odds of +4500, while the D-Backs opened the season with odds of +17000, the 16th and 23rd longest odds, respectively.

The Houston Astros (+600) and Atlanta Braves (+750) held the shortest odds when the first pitch of 2023 was hurled across the plate.

Just goes to show that over the six-month, 162-game regular season, each team will go through a club-altering grind.

And once the playoffs begin, it’s anyone’s game.

Here’s a look at where each teams’ World Series odds sit, just a few days prior to Opening Day.

Team	BestOdds – World Series	Sportsbook
Los Angeles Dodgers	+375	bet365
Atlanta Braves	+600	Caesars
Houston Astros	+800	BetMGM
New York Yankees	+1000	DraftKings
Baltimore Orioles	+1400	FanDuel
Texas Rangers	+1500	Caesars
Philadelphia Phillies	+1500	Caesars
Toronto Blue Jays	+2000	BetMGM
Seattle Mariners	+2000	Caesars
Minnesota Twins	+3000	bet365
Chicago Cubs	+3500	FanDuel
St. Louis Cardinals	+3500	DraftKings
Tampa Bay Rays	+3500	BetMGM
Arizona Diamondbacks	+4000	DraftKings
San Francisco Giants	+4500	FanDuel
San Diego Padres	+5000	FanDuel
New York Mets	+5500	DraftKings
Cincinnati Reds	+5500	FanDuel
Boston Red Sox	+6600	Caesars
Cleveland Guardians	+6600	BetMGM
Detroit Tigers	+7000	FanDuel
Miami Marlins	+9000	FanDuel
Milwaukee Brewers	+10000	BetMGM
Kansas City Royals	+15000	BetMGM
Pittsburgh Pirates	+20000	FanDuel
Los Angeles Angels	+20000	BetMGM
Washington Nationals	+25000	DraftKings
Chicago White Sox	+50000	BetMGM
Colorado Rockies	+50000	BetMGM
Oakland Athletics	+50000	FanDuel

World Series Betting Favorites

Los Angeles Dodgers (+375 – bet365)

The deep-pocketed Dodgers won the ultimate free agency sweepstakes this offseason, bringing in the supernatural two-way baseball star Shohei Ohtani on a contract worth $700 million.

The top of Los Angeles’ lineup will now feature Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Ohtani.

Good luck to any pitcher trying to go three up, three down in the first inning against three former MVP winners.

LA also made a deal with the Seattle Mariners in January to acquire outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.

The addition of Ohtani may have some forgetting about Hernandez, but the 31-year old veteran has hit at least 22 home runs five of the last six seasons (Only 16 HRs in 50 games of the truncated 2020 season).

Although Ohtani is not expected to take the mound this season, the Dodgers have shored up their rotation by acquiring Japanese pitching ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and former Tampa Bay Rays’ hurler Tyler Glasnow.

Yamamoto has won three consecutive Sawamura Awards in the NPB (the Cy Young equivalent), and has recorded a career 1.82 ERA in 897 innings in the NPB.

Glasnow had an injury-shortened 2023, but when healthy, he was his typically electric self, punching out 162 batters in 120 innings of work, and posting a 3.53 ERA.

The recently bolstered rotation in Los Angeles should see the return of Walker Beuhler as well, who missed the entire 2023 season to injury.

Buehler has a career 3.02 ERA in 638.1 innings pitched, and his run prevention was sorely missed.

The Dodgers have made a bevy of moves to reinforce their 100-win club from 2023.

On paper, there is no better team in the MLB.

Atlanta Braves (+600 – Caesars)

In 2023, the Atlanta Braves produced a .845 OPS as a team, the best in the MLB.

The Dodgers finished second with a distant .795 OPS.

Atlanta pulverized pitching staffs all season long.

Here’s a quick rundown of the Braves’ offensive highlights in 2023.

• First baseman Matt Olson led the MLB with 54 home runs and 139 RBI
• Outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. batted .337 with 41 home runs, 106 RBI and 73 stolen bases.
• Third baseman Austin Riley hit 37 home runs and collected 97 RBI.
• Second baseman Ozzie Albies hit a career-high 33 home runs and 109 RBI.
• Outfielder Marcell Ozuna saw a resurgence, hitting exactly 40 home runs and picking up 100 RBI.

Atlanta’s offense was absurdly entertaining.

But, those numbers may not be duplicated.

The Braves can’t rely only on their offense to smash opponents into smithereens every night. 

Atlanta’s team ERA was 4.14, 15th best in the MLB, so they could use some help from the pitching staff in 2024.

The Braves lost the best-of-five NL Division Series to their NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies last year, three games to one.

Atlanta’s bats went quiet, scoring only eight runs in the four games played, five in Game 2 alone.

The Braves were outscored by Philadelphia 20-8 in the NLDS, proving that they couldn’t slug their way to the World Series.

Starting pitcher Spencer Strider is a strikeout machine for Atlanta, striking out 281 batters in 186.2 innings pitched in the regular season, while recording a 3.86 ERA.

Strider also allowed 22 home runs, so he has an issue with keeping the ball in the yard.

In Strider’s postseason career, he has a 5.40 ERA in 15 innings, so he’ll need to get that number down if the Braves have any World Series hopes.

Max Fried is another pitcher Atlanta needs to step up in the postseason.

Fried holds a career 3.03 ERA in 710 innings in the regular season, but once October comes, he crumbles, posting a 4.57 ERA in 65 career postseason innings.

The Braves need Strider and Fried to carry this pitching staff in the fall, and they need to keep their explosive bats firing.

It does appear that Atlanta and LA are the clear-cut, best teams in the National League, with the Philadelphia Phillies holding the third-shortest odds in the Senior Circuit at +1500.

World Series Contenders

The National League appears to be the tougher side to get out of to make the Fall Classic, having to possibly go through the Dodgers or Braves.

Of the nine teams with the shortest odds to win the World Series, +2500 or lower, six of them represent the American League.

The AL has become somewhat of a toss up heading into Spring Training, so let’s take a look at a few contenders from the Junior Circuit.

New York Yankees (+1000 – DraftKings)

The Bronx Bombers certainly bombed in 2023, finishing with the MLB’s 29th-ranked team batting average, hitting .227 as a club.

Only the Oakland Athletics did worse, hitting .223.

A team with a $277 million payroll should not be hitting at a similar level as a $56 million payroll club.

That’s a red flag.

The Yanks traded for former Nationals and Padres’ slugger Juan Soto (.275 avg in 2023), and they also made a swap with their rival Boston Red Sox for outfielder Alex Verdugo (.264 avg in 2023).

Time will tell if those two swingers can improve New York’s hitting.

The combo of Soto and Aaron Judge in the middle of the lineup should be terrifying to opposing pitchers; even more scary if Giancarlo Stanton can get back on track.

On the pitching side, other than Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole and Marcus Stroman, the Yanks’ rotation looks pretty thin.

They could be a player for free agent southpaw Blake Snell, and a lefty is what this team needs.

New York lefties, Carlos Rodon (6.85 ERA) and Nestor Cortes (4.97 ERA), were wildly inconsistent and Rodon has now become an expensive in-house reclamation project after signing a 6-year, $162 million contract prior to 2023.

The Yankees finished last season at 82-80, just one win above .500, and 19 games behind the AL East leading Baltimore Orioles.

There’s nowhere to go but up for the Bombers, but +1000 is way too high.

As they currently sit, I feel that the Yankees should be around +2500 or +3000.

Baltimore Orioles (+1400 – FanDuel)

Even after winning 101 games and taking the AL East crown in 2023, the sportsbooks still have the Yankees favored over the Orioles, and that doesn’t sit well with me.

I’d argue that Baltimore’s acquisition of former NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes will move the needle for the O’s much further than Soto’s addition in the Bronx.

Baltimore’s pitching staff was led by their bullpen, producing the MLB’s 5th-best bullpen ERA of 3.55.

The Orioles’ 4.14 ERA from starting pitchers will likely receive a massive boost from Burnes.

Baltimore’s young offensive core, led by catcher Adley Rutschman and third baseman Gunnar Henderson, has been entertaining to watch as they bloom in the Beltway.

The Orioles lineup is an amalgamation of talented players, whose names are not mentioned enough.

Players like Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander, Austin Hays, Ryan Mountcastle, they’re not usually found at the top of the highlight packages on TV, but they always find themselves on the reel.

Baltimore will kick off the season with four series against teams that finished below .500 in 2023, the Los Angeles Angels (73-89), Kansas City Royals (56-106), Pittsburgh Pirates (76-86), and the Boston Red Sox (78-84).

If the O’s win close to 10 of those first 12 games, their odds will fall fast, so now is the time to buy Baltimore.

2024 World Series Longshots

After the Rangers and Diamondbacks made the 2023 World Series, it may have changed the way bettors view certain teams prior to the 2024 season.

Let’s pinpoint a few World Series longshots.

Cincinnati Reds (+5500 – FanDuel)

The Cincinnati Reds belong to the NL Central, which is shaping up to be a winnable division for almost any of the five teams involved.

I’m not crowning the Reds as NL Central champs just yet, but similarly to Baltimore, Cincinnati has a young core of players that are beginning to bust out.

Reds’ 6-foot-5 shortstop Elly De La Cruz is a potential five-tool superstar, and at only 22-years old, his power and speed combo is the envy of every MLB front office.

De La Cruz swatted 13 home runs and stole 35 bags in only 98 games played last season, so the sky’s the limit.

First baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit 13 home runs in 63 games, and at 24-years old, has the power potential to be a 30+ home run power hitter in the middle of the lineup.

Another 24-year old is infielder Matt Mclain, who hit .290 with 16 home runs and 50 RBI while stealing 14 bases in only 89 games played.

The Reds’ offense is young, but it already has the building blocks to be the MLB’s best.

Cincy just needs their pitching to come together.

Outside of flamethrower Hunter Greene, the Reds’ rotation is littered with question marks.

Left-hander Nick Lodolo has flashed potential, posting a 3.66 ERA in 103.1 innings pitched  2022, only to suffer a setback in 2023, seeing his ERA balloon to 6.29 in only 34.1 innings of work.

Fellow lefty Andrew Abbott looks to be Cincinnati’s top southpaw this season after pitching 3.87 ball in 109.1 innings last year.

Abbott must avoid a similar regression seen from Lodolo.

For Greene, he has lacked consistency.

In 2023, Greene recorded a 2.19 ERA in April, then a 5.46 ERA in May, then a 3.12 ERA in June, then struggled with injuries the rest of the way.

From June 1st through the end of the season, Cincy went 56-51 (.523).

A healthy season for this young Reds club could push them into the World Series conversation.

Cleveland Guardians (+6600 – BetMGM)

Health was a big difference-maker for the Cleveland Guardians in 2023.

Starting pitcher Shane Bieber only made 21 starts and pitched just 128 innings, and while battling injuries, his K/9 dropped to a career-low 7.52 and his ERA climbed to the highest mark since his rookie season; although still a respectable 3.80.

It was even worse for pitcher Triston McKenzie, only pitching 16 innings all season in 2023 after producing a promising 2.96 ERA in 31 games in 2022.

A fully healthy season from those two pitchers could take the Guardians a long way.

Cleveland received incredible rookie seasons from young pitchers Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams.

Bibee posted a 2.98 ERA in 142 innings, and Williams recorded a 3.29 ERA in his first 82 big league innings, proving to be two future aces for the Guards.

When healthy, a rotation of Bibee, Williams, Bieber, and McKenzie could possibly be the MLB’s best.

A focus on run prevention is paramount for a Cleveland ballclub that scored only 4.09 runs per game in 2023, 26th in the MLB.

The Guardians’ offense is led by third baseman Jose Ramirez, whose OPS of .831 last season was his lowest since 2016.

Cleveland will need Ramirez to return to his AL MVP-caliber form in 2024.

The rest of the Guardians’ offense is a bit of a mystery. Designated hitter Josh Naylor could be a regression candidate after his .843 OPS last season looks like an outlier.

Leadoff hitter Steven Kwan will need to bounce back as well after his subpar season.

Kwan only hit .268 and recorded an on-base percentage of .340, which is not great for the man selected to set the table for this offense.

The best ability is availability, and health is what Cleveland needs the most in 2024.

2023 World Series

The 2023 World Series was the first since 2016 to not feature the Houston Astros or Los Angeles Dodgers!

The 2023 World Series was between two surprise teams: the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Texas was a very solid team, winning 90 games, tying the Houston Astros atop the AL West standings; Houston won the division on a tiebreaker.

The Rangers sent six players to the All-Star game in July, so they were a very talented team. Texas shortstop Corey Seager, third baseman Josh Jung, second baseman Marcus Semien, and catcher Jonah Heim were all in the AL’s starting lineup for the Midsummer Classic.

Arizona was a young and scrappy team led by NL Rookie of the Year, outfielder Corbin Carroll.

The Diamondbacks were not viewed as a World Series threat all season, only winning 84 games and finishing 16 games back of the LA Dodgers in the NL West.

After getting the final Wild Card spot, Arizona made the most of it.

But, the Rangers won the World Series over the Diamondbacks, 4-1, including winning the last three games at Chase Field in Arizona.

It was Texas’ third World Series appearance, their first since losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011.

2023 was the first World Series Championship for the Rangers!

World Series Futures Betting

Futures betting is about being well-informed, well-researched, and ahead of the market.

With 30 teams trying their best over the course of 162 regular-season games, a lot of volatility occurs during a baseball season.

In 2021, the Atlanta Braves were 51-54 at the all-star break and were eventually crowned World Series champions after going on a second-half heater.

What experienced bettors are trying to do with futures betting is buy teams at their Best Odds.

You want to invest in teams before the rest of the betting public realizes how good they are.

A good example is the Houston Astros from 2021. At the beginning of the season, the Astros were +1700 odds to win the World Series.

As the season continued to play out, the odds on the Astros continued to drop and drop and then drop some more.

By the time the final series rolled around, people were betting on the Astros to win it all at -150 odds.

Even though Houston didn’t win the World Series, a veteran gambler will take a lot of pride in knowing that they invested in a team at +1700 odds, and by the end of that ticket’s life, the odds were down to -150.

Obviously, when you have a team in the World Series who you bet at +1700, you have options on whether you want to hedge that bet.

Savvy gamblers can buy teams at their Best Odds by being well-researched, well-informed, and ahead of the market.

A lot of great futures bets don’t actually cash. But when you can spot a quality team ahead of the market, you have a chance to win a very big payout.

Where Can You Bet MLB World Series Futures

You can definitely bet MLB futures online at every licensed operator in your state.

There is so much competition between the sportsbooks to try and earn our business right now that they are trying to differentiate themselves through their digital technology.

As consumers, this means better, faster, and easier to use legal betting apps for us to do our research, create accounts, and place our bets.

With a renewed focus on customer service by the sportsbooks, it’s also never been easier to withdraw funds and gamble responsibly.

How To Place An MLB World Series Futures Bet

The first thing we have to do is check out the many bonus offerings available to us.

We can find all the best available bonuses.

• Once we have found the sportsbook with the bonus offering that excites us the most, we need to create an account and log in.
• After creating our account, we are only a few clicks away from placing our MLB World Series Futures bets.
• In the baseball betting section, click on Futures and then click on World Series.
• We should now have odds for all 30 major league teams to win the Fall Classic.

What happens next is up to you!

We always recommend you track all your bets, either with a spreadsheet or software designed to help you keep a record of your wagers.

This is the best way to stay within your money management plan and to learn from your past history and results.

Recent World Series Winning Teams

Year	Team	Results
2023	Texas Rangers	Defeated Arizona (5 Games)
2022	Houston Astros	Defeated Philadelphia (6 games)
2021	Atlanta Braves	Defeated Houston (6 games)
2020	LA Dodgers	Defeated Tampa Bay (6 games)
2019	Washington Nationals	Defeated Houston (7 games)
2018	Boston Red Sox	Defeated LA (5 games)
2017	Houston Astros	Defeated LA (7 games)
2016	Chicago Cubs	Defeated Cleveland (7 games)
2015	Kansas City Royals	Defeated NY Mets (5 games)
2014	San Francisco Giants	Defeated KC (7 games)
2013	Boston Red Sox	Defeated St. Louis (6 games)
2012	San Francisco Giants	Defeated Detroit (4 games)

Most World Series Appearances By Franchise

Total	Team	World Series Record
40	New York Yankees	27 – 13
21	Los Angeles Dodgers	7 – 14
20	San Francisco Giants	8 – 12
19	St. Louis Cardinals	11 – 8
14	Oakland Athletics	9 – 5
13	Boston Red Sox	9 – 4
11	Detroit Tigers	4 – 7
11	Chicago Cubs	3 – 8
10	Atlanta Braves	4 – 6
9	Cincinnati Reds	5 – 4

• The first World Series occurred in 1903 when the Boston Americans defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates five games to three.

• After not cooperating with each other up until then, the AL and NL leagues decided their best opportunity to grow as a sport was to work together.

• In 1904, the New York Giants refused to play Boston in the World Series, and no champion was crowned. In 1994, there was no champion declared because of a prolonged players’ strike.

• In 1992 and 1993, the Toronto Blue Jays became the first team outside the US to be crowned World Series champions.