MLB Playoffs 2023: How to Bet
Baseball’s postseason begins Tuesday.
Twelve teams have qualified for the playoffs. The Baltimore Orioles and the Atlanta Braves hold the best record in each league and thus own home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They own a bye to the Division Series along with the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Here are the six seeds from each league:
The American League:1. Baltimore Orioles2. Houston Astros3. Minnesota Twins4. Tampa Bay Rays5. Texas Rangers
6. Toronto Blue Jays
The National League:1. Atlanta Braves2. Los Angeles Dodgers3. Milwaukee Brewers4. Philadelphia Phillies5. Miami Marlins
6. Arizona Diamondbacks
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Ways to bet the MLB Playoffs
If you are looking to bet on the baseball playoffs, you can bet on individual games, a series outcome, or the Futures Market.
If you want to bet on an individual game, you can do so prior to the first pitch or you can place a live bet once a game has begun.
You can bet a series in a handful of ways. You can bet the series winner, the correct score in the series, the Over/Under total games in a series, or the series handicap. Betting the handicap is much like you would bet a ballgame on the run line but in the Wild Card Round when you bet a series handicap you are taking a team +/- 1.5 games as opposed to runs.
The Futures Market is available to bettors looking to place bets on a team to win the pennant and/or World Series. DraftKings also offers playoff specials including which division and which league will win the World Series, and what state houses the eventual World Champions.
Odds to advance out of the Wild Card Round
As mentioned, the bottom four seeds in each league begin their postseason journeys in the Wild Card Round. In the American League, Tampa (-155) is favored to advance against Texas (+130). Spoiler Alert: Minnesota (-144) is favored to knock out Toronto (+118) even though the Twins’ odds to claim the A.L. Pennant are greater than those of the Blue Jays.
If you like the Phillies (-180) to advance against Miami (+150), you will pay for it. The Brewers (-160) are nearly as big a favorite in their series against the Diamondbacks (+135).
Odds to win the American League
The Baltimore Orioles (+275) are the top seed, but they are no the favorite to claim the pennant. That honor belongs to the Houston Astros (+190). Although they came within two games of missing the playoffs entirely, the defending World Series champions are favored to represent the American League in the World Series. Tampa Bay (+450) won 99 games, 9 more than Houston, and yet they are just third on the board followed by Texas (+700), Toronto (+700) and Minnesota (+750).
Odds to win the National League
Atlanta (+150) is the top seed in the National League. Presumptive MVP Ronald Acuna, Jr. and the Braves dominated in the regular season winning 104 games. Many experts predicted a down year for the Dodgers (+200). Well, if a down year is 100 wins and a division title by 16 games, there are more than a few teams who will take that down year. The defending National League champs are the Philadelphia Phillies (+600). Bryce Harper and co. have added Trea Turner and are a trendy pick to return to the Series. Milwaukee (+750), Arizona (+1200), and Miami (+1200) are considered long shots to reach the World Series.
Favorites and Longshots to win the World Series
No surprise that the most complete team during the regular season, the Atlanta Braves (+330) are the favorites to win it all. Mookie Betts and the Dodgers (+425) are second on the board followed by the top two seeds in the American League, the Orioles (+650) and the Astros (+450). The Miami Marlins (+3000) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (+3000) are the longest shots to win it all.
The World Series is scheduled to begin on October 27.
Understand that the odds will shift as the different series progress.
Enjoy the playoffs and enjoy the sweat…but be responsible when you wager.
