Odds to win the World Series: Blue Jays have 17-to-1 odds entering playoffs

The playoff field is set, and postseason action is set to begin on Tuesday.

The latest: The Atlanta Braves are well ahead of the pack, but three times hold odds of 5-to-1 or shorter. And the Blue Jays, who are preparing for a best-of-three series in Minnesota, have +1,700 title odds.

Here are the latest World Series odds on October 2.

World Series odds

MLB oddsas of 2:45 p.m. ET on 10/02/2023.

Best World Series odds

The Braves' odds have actually lengthened a bit since we last checked in, but that shouldn't matter. With the top record in baseball, Atlanta will control home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Ronald Acuna Jr. is on his way to NL MVP honours, while Matt Olson led MLB in home runs (54) and RBIs (139). Then there's Spencer Strider, whose 281 strikeouts are more than 40 clear of any other pitcher.

The gluttony of top-tier talent shouldn't overshadow the lineup's impressive depth, though. Atlanta led the majors in OPS (.845), and its team slugging percentage (.501) was better than all but 19 qualified hitters — and five of those hitters were Braves.

There's an absurd collection of talent on this team, which tends to make up for a pitching staff that isn't exactly elite behind Strider. The Braves rank 17th in starter ERA (4.36) and 10th in bullpen ERA (3.81).

Atlanta (104-58) has now posted back-to-back, 100-win seasons. But last year's postseason run ended prematurely, as the Braves fell in four games against the Phillies in the NLDS.

A collision course between the Braves and Dodgers could be Atlanta's greatest risk to getting back to the Fall Classic. Atlanta went 4-3 against L.A. this year but had a -4 run differential in those games.

Other World Series choices

The AL Central is a largely forgettable division, but the Twins are not a team to overlook.

Minnesota is one of the hottest teams in baseball right now. In September, the Twins ranked first in wRC+ (126) and fifth in ERA (3.56).

On the downside, the Twins will have to play in the opening round of the playoffs. But they'll get to host those games (vs. the Blue Jays) as the AL Central winner. And since they weren't part of a late-season playoff chase, they've been able to line up their rotation exactly how they want.

And boy, what a rotation it is.

Minnesota has the second-best starter ERA in baseball (3.82). The trio of Pablo Lopez, Sonny Gray and Joe Ryan could make any playoff series interesting.

Blue Jays World Series odds

It's interesting that the Blue Jays have shorter title odds than their wild-card opponents, the Twins, despite the fact that Minnesota is a slight favourite to win the series (-112).

Nonetheless, Toronto has a fair shot to win their opening matchup — and more. The Jays went 3-3 against the Twins this year with a -2 run differential.

Minnesota, as mentioned in the value section, has a daunting rotation and a hot offence. But Toronto has a remarkable bullpen and plenty of offensive potential.