World Series, MLB futures odds as spring training opens
The Super Bowl is over, and though it's still winter in most parts of the country, but we've heard the magical words that tell us springtime is on the way: "Pitchers and catchers report."
Indeed, spring training has started across Major League Baseball camps in Arizona and Florida, with pitchers and catchers leading to position players next week for all 30 major league teams.
The regular season is still more than a month away, but with a busy preseason that includes the return of the World Baseball Classic, it's time to start thinking about betting on the boys of summer. Before you know it, you'll be sweating — literally — at a ballpark with a hot dog and beer in hand and rooting on your team.
That also means it's time to place your bets on which teams and players will excel this season. Let's run down the list of futures markets available at Caesars Sportsbook, official odds partner of Bet.NOLA.com.
World Series
Let's start at the top with World Series futures odds. For the first time since 2019, we appear ready to go into a full season without the Los Angeles Dodgers as favorites.
This year, the reigning champion Houston Astros are favorites despite the loss of ace pitcher Justin Verlander in free agency. The Astros are +500 at Caesars.
The next team on the list is the New York Yankees (+750), who added Carlos Rodon to their rotation and re-signed 62-homer man Aaron Judge.
Houston and New York are just ahead of the top two National League teams, both listed at +800. One is the aforementioned Dodgers, who for once have made no significant offseason additions and saw Trea Turner depart in free agency; the other is the New York Mets, who seemingly made an offseason acquisition every day, signing Verlander and Jose Quintana as well as re-signing Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Diaz.
The crowded odds board continues with two teams at 10-to-1: The Atlanta Braves, who actually had a better record last year than they did in their World Series-winning campaign of 2021; and the San Diego Padres, who added shortstop Xander Bogaerts in free agency after landing trade-deadline gem Juan Soto last year. Fernando Tatis Jr. also will be back after missing last season with injury/suspension, though his suspension for using banned substances will last about a month into the season.
Last year's NL champion Philadelphia Phillies added Turner but are still only +1400 to win the World Series, followed by the Toronto Blue Jays (+1500), Seattle Mariners (+1700), St. Louis Cardinals (+2200) and Tampa Bay Rays (+2500).
The top team listed that didn't make the playoffs last season is the Chicago White Sox (+2800), ahead of the final team that did, the Cleveland Guardians (+3300).
WORLD SERIES ODDS
Houston Astros +500
New York Yankees +750
New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers +800
San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves +1000
Philadelphia Phillies +1400
Toronto Blue Jays +1500
Seattle Mariners +1700
St. Louis Cardinals +2200
Tampa Bay Rays +2500
Chicago White Sox +2800
Cleveland Guardians +3300
Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels +4000
Texas Rangers +5000
Baltimore Orioles +6600
Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox +7500
Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins +10000
Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies +20000
Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics +30000
League and division championships
The top teams on the World Series board make leading appearances here, too, of course. The Astros are a short +260 to win the American League, followed by the Yankees at +350 and then a gap to the Blue Jays at +650 and Mariners at +800.
The Astros also are the biggest division favorite of any team at -215 to win the AL West, ahead of the Mariners at +320 and Rangers at +900. The Yankees are also an odds-on favorite at -140 in the AL East, ahead of the Blue Jays (+190) and Rays (+400). There doesn't appear to be a bona fide World Series contender in the AL Central, which explains why the division odds are tight: the Guardians at +150 are just a dime more expensive than the White Sox at +160, with the Twins at +290.
In the National League, the Dodgers are the preseason favorite for the sixth consecutive year, but only barely. L.A. is at +350 with the Mets at +375. This pennant race appears more wide open than the AL, with six teams priced less than 10-to-1. The Braves (+500) and Padres (+550) are next, followed by the Phillies (+800) and Cardinals (+950).
The Padres also are a serious threat to the Dodgers in the NL West, with L.A. priced at -140 and San Diego at +140. It's an even closer race in the NL East, with the Braves (+140) favored by just a nickel over the Mets (+145), with the NL champion Phillies back at +280. And in the NL Central, the Cardinals are -120 favorites over the Brewers (+160) and Cubs (+600).
Individual awards
It's no surprise that Angels two-way player Shohei Ohtani is the MVP favorite in the American League; he won the award in 2021, and it took Judge's Ruth-ian effort to deny him last year. Ohtani is +200, followed by Judge at +400.
You could do worse than three-time MVP Mike Trout, also of the Angels, at +600. Young phenoms Julio Rodriguez of the Mariners (+800), Yordan Alvarez of the Astros (+1400) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Blue Jays (+1400) are next.
In the National League, the odds reflect a more wide-open race. Padres outfielder Soto is the favorite at +600, followed by Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts at +800. They're the only players at less than 10-to-1.
Last year's winner, Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, is +1200, along with Tatis Jr. and a third Padres player, infielder Manny Machado. There are five more players at +1400: Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley of the Braves, Freddie Freeman of the Dodgers, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso and new Phillies shortstop Trea Turner.
In the Cy Young races, last year's American League winner was Verlander. Now he's in the National League and is the co-favorite at +500 along with the Brewers' Corbin Burnes. They're followed by the last year's NL winner, the Marlins' Sandy Alcantara, at +600 and Verlander's new teammate, Max Scherzer, at +700.
With Verlander gone from the AL, the co-favorites include an old NL star: Jacob DeGrom, who went from the Mets to the Texas Rangers. He's +600 along with the Yankees' Gerrit Cole. The trio chasing them at +900 are White Sox ace Dylan Cease, along with Carlos Rodon of the Yankees and Alek Manoah of the Blue Jays.
The Rookie of the Year favorites are Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson (+350) in the AL and Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (+300) in the NL.
