MLB playoff odds for the ALCS and NLCS: Phillies and Astros favoured to advance for rematch

We're down to one series in each league to determine who will play in the 2023 Fall Classic.

The pre-series narrative: Plenty of storylines exist ahead of the ALCS and NLCS matchups. We have an all-Texas battle in the AL, while two underdogs collide in the NL after taking down a pair of juggernauts. If the two favourites win this round, we'll have a rematch of last year's World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros.

MLB playoff odds

The below odds are for which team will win the series.

MLB odds as of 3:05 p.m. on 10/13/2023.

MLB ALCS playoff odds

Rangers vs. Astros

The next round of the postseason gets underway when the AL West rivals meet for Game 1 in Houston on Sunday night.

So far, the Texas Rangers have made things look easy. They swept the AL leaders in regular season wins, first eliminating the 99-win Tampa Bay Rays before taking three straight from the 101-win Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS.

Now they'll have to deal with the Astros, who won the division over the Rangers on a tiebreak and have reached the ALCS for the seventh consecutive season.

The Astros won the season series 9-4 and are the betting favourite for Game 1 behind Justin Verlander, who threw six scoreless innings in an ALDS opening win over the Minnesota Twins.

Houston, the defending champ, has been to four of the last six World Series, while Texas hasn't been since losing back-to-back titles in 2010-11.

Both teams were top five in the majors in runs scored and OPS this season.

NLCS playoff odds

Diamondbacks vs. Phillies

The Phillies knocked down the 104-win Atlanta Braves, MLB's best regular season team, to get here.

Not to be outdone, the Arizona Diamondbacks swept the 100-win Los Angeles Dodgers, who finished 16 games ahead of the D'backs in the NL West.

These teams enter this unlikely NLCS clash as the top two clubs in the postseason in OPS (the Rangers and Astros are No. 3 and 4). Nick Castellanos and Bryce Harper have seven combined homers in six games as they attempt to power the Phillies back to the World Series.

As great as these offences have been in October, Game 1 is going to be very much about the starting pitching matchup, which is expected to be Zac Gallen against Zack Wheeler. Both punched out 200-plus batters this season to finish top 10 in MLB in strikeouts.

Philadelphia won the season series 4-3 over Arizona, which hasn't been to the World Series since winning it all in 2001.