Opening Odds to Win the 2020 World Series
The champagne is flowing at Minute Maid Park, but the 2020 World Series favorite Houston Astros aren’t thirsty. The Washington Nationals are your 2019 MLB World Series champions as their 6-2 victory in Game 7 captured the district’s first baseball title since 1924. Despite the series loss, sportsbooks have wasted no time by putting the Astros as co-favorites with the New York Yankees to win it all next season.
Following these two American League juggernauts are the Los Angeles Dodgers (+800), Atlanta Braves (+1200), Boston Red Sox (+1200), Cleveland Indians (+1500), Washington Nationals (+1500), Philadelphia Phillies (+2000), St. Louis Cardinals (+2200) and Chicago Cubs (+2500) to round out the top 10 teams on the Bovada oddsboard.
Why the Astros and Yankees Are World Series Favorites
The Houston Astros and the New York Yankees, co-favorites to win the 2020 World Series, both have batting lineups with a ton of offensive firepower and high-end talent on their pitching staffs.
The Astros still have Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke as their two ace starting pitchers even if RHP Gerrit Cole leaves Houston for a big payday. The Yankees, on the other hand, have a nice stable of starters in James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino and Domingo German, along with a stout bullpen.
Both of these teams were in the top five in most offensive categories in 2019 and are in a prime position to win 100 games again in 2020.
The World Series champion Nationals are down to +1500 to win the championship next MLB season, but this edition of the Nats may not stay together. Third baseman Anthony Rendon and starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg are both set to hit free agency and if we learned anything from the Bryce Harper fallout, Washington will not shell out the big bucks on just anyone.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Houston Astros | +600 |
| New York Yankees | +600 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +800 |
| Atlanta Braves | +1200 |
| Boston Red Sox | +1200 |
| Cleveland Indians | +1500 |
| Washington Nationals | +1500 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +2000 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +2200 |
| Chicago Cubs | +2500 |
| Minnesota Twins | +2500 |
| New York Mets | +2500 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +3000 |
| Oakland Athletics | +3000 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +3000 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +5000 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +6600 |
| Los Angeles Angels | +6600 |
| San Diego Padres | +6600 |
| Chicago White Sox | +8000 |
| Texas Rangers | +8500 |
| San Francisco Giants | +10000 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +10000 |
| Colorado Rockies | +12500 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +20000 |
| Seattle Mariners | +20000 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +100000 |
| Kansas City Royals | +100000 |
| Detroit Tigers | +100000 |
| Miami Marlins | +100000 |
Odds as of October 30 at Bovada
What is a Futures Bet on World Series Odds?
When you visit your sportsbook of choice, you’ll see an option to bet on which team will win the World Series. This kind of bet is a futures wager, which means you’re betting on events that will happen in time. Oddsmakers release action on the Fall Classic before the season starts and adjust the lines from April to October as teams surge and stumble in the standings.
You would see odds listed like this:
- Houston Astros +200
- Los Angeles Dodgers +250
- New York Yankees +400
- Atlanta Braves +550
- St. Louis Cardinals +700
Unlike a moneyline bet, where there would be a clear favorite and underdog, the team with the lowest odds is the closest thing to a fave. In this case, it’s the Astros. The team with the highest odds would be the closest thing to a dog. Here, it’s the Cards.
If you were to bet $50 on St. Louis at the beginning of the season and they won the World Series, you’d get a payout of $400 – your original $50 is returned, along with your winnings of $350. On the other hand, a bet on Houston would give you a payout of $150 – you get your $50 back, plus your loot of $100. Our Odds Calculator can help you determine how much you’d pocket depending on the odds and the amount bet.
The earlier you can make a futures bet, the better because you’ll see higher returns since World Series odds ebb and flow depending on a team’s overall performance, injuries to key staff, and how they stack up against the rest of their division. However, you’ll need to handicap your bets accordingly. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with everything baseball:
• Odds
• Offensive and Defensive Stats
