A Guide to the Best MLB World Series Betting Sites

Making World Series bets requires the tenacity of Lou Gehrig and the skill of Willy Mays. Or, you could just keep it locked to Odds Shark. We’ll tell you which sportsbooks we recommend, so you know you’re betting at a safe and secure site. Plus, we’ll break down baseball betting options with detailed odds explanations giving you the tools to make smart picks.

Whether it’s the first time you’re betting on World Series games or are looking to up your wagering prowess, we’ve got you covered like Gary Carter at home plate.

Best World Series Betting Sites

How to Sign Up at an Online Sportsbook

When you’ve chosen a sports betting site for your World Series bets from the above list, you’ll need to create an account. This is easy, and all you need is some basic info like your email address.

Once you’re signed up, you’ll need to make a deposit. You can use everything from Bitcoin to PayPal to fund your online betting account. Depending on the real money method you used, it can take anywhere from one second to one hour for the deposit to go through.

Furthermore, look out for bonuses. These are special offers for bettors like a welcome bonus or free bet. There are also sport-specific rewards like getting an extra $30 added to your bankroll if you bet on more than one baseball playoff games. Make sure to read the terms and conditions before accepting any offers. Each betting site is different and may have certain stipulations affixed to their rewards.

Betting on the World Series

When it comes to wagering, the World Series is another ball game – bad pun alert! Sportsbooks around the globe get in on that action by offering a heap – or pitcher’s mound – of betting options. Knowing the rules of baseball and some team and player stats can help you make educated postseason bets. You can find everything you need to handicap your bets on our MLB Betting News pages. We have odds, betting trends, free picks, stats, scores, consensus data, and more.

When it comes to MLB World Series betting, you don’t have to try every betting option available. But, it’s nice to know that you have many wagering choices that are offered at the majority of sports betting sites.

Moneyline: Which Team Will Win?

The most common wagering type for World Series betting is the moneyline. This bet requires you to pick an outright Sportsbook of the matchup.

Odds would look something like this:

  • Houston Astros -120
  • San Francisco Giants +105

In this scenario, the Astros are the favorite – you can tell this by the minus sign (-). The Giants are the underdog – this is shown by the plus sign (+).

If you believe the ‘Stros are going to take it all, and you bet $60, you would get a payout of $110 – your original $60 comes back along with your winnings of $50. Conversely, if you were to lay that same $60 on SF, you’d get $123 – your $60 is returned, plus your prize of $63.

Underdog bets are riskier but come with a bigger reward. Our Odds Calculator can help you see what you’d win based on the odds and amount you bet.

Totals: Will there be fewer or more runs?

A totals bet, aka OVER/UNDER, is a wager in which you would guess if the total number of runs would be less or more than the oddsmaker’s set number. Let’s say the St. Louis Cardinals are playing the Minnesota Twins and the total is set at 8. If you think the combined final score is going to be more than 8, you would take the OVER. If you think it’ll be less than 8, you’d take the UNDER.

Betting on totals for Major League Baseball is similar to betting the totals in any other sport. The only significant difference is that baseball scores are much lower than they would be with football or basketball. The oddsmaker’s number can range from 6 to 10, based on the strength or weakness of the pitching staff. Moreover, these numbers can be even lower in the World Series because the two top pitching staff in all of baseball are playing against each other.

Runlines: The Abridged Spread

Runlines are similar to the point spread where oddsmakers will adjust the line so the underdog gets an advantage in the game. When betting on MLB, especially during the World Series, the dog will receive +1.5 runs and the favorite gets -1.5 runs. This means that the fave must win by at least two runs, or the dog must either keep their loss to one run or win the game outright.

Props: Betting on Milestones

A prop bet involves wagering on the possible player outcomes rather than the total team outcome of the game like a win or loss. For example, you could bet on the number of home runs or hits produced, or the number of strikes a pitcher might throw. For instance, during a Los Angeles Dodgers vs Boston Red Sox World Series game, odds would be offered on LA’s pitcher tossing a strikeout against Boston’s second baseman.

Live Betting: Game-time Action

Sometimes called in-play betting, you can bet on every at-bat or inning. Live odds are offered allowing you to bet on whether the next pitch will end in a strikeout, walk, base hit, or home run. The odds change constantly for live bets, and most sportsbooks will provide some form of moneyline, runline or totals while the game in going on.

Keep in mind that each of the bets we detail above are per game. If you want to bet on the entire World Series, you would make a futures bet before it begins. For this wager, the MLB futures odds to win are released before the regular season even starts, but you can make this kind of bet at any time before the championship commences.

Basic Strategies, Tips and Facts
  • The first Series was contested in 1903 between the Boston Americans (now the Red Sox) and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Beantown upset Steel City 5 games to 3. Yes, you read that right, it was an 8-game series.
  • Use one of the secure betting sites we recommend above, otherwise you could be gambling – literally – with your safety. Not all sites are created equally and we only promote the ones we’ve vetted.
  • Starting pitchers are viewed as the most important position to handicap in all of sports. Make sure to do your homework and check out our Pitcher Logs page.
  • Remember that the World Series is a best-of-7 series and you may need to pay closer attention to your bankroll to ensure you have enough in the tank – like a pitcher who needs to go more than four innings.
  • The American League has captured 66 championships, whereas the National League has 48.
  • The Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, and Washington Nationals have yet to win a World Series.
  • The last team to win consecutive titles is the New York Yankees who took the trophy in 1998, 1999, and 2000. They also have the most victories with 27.
  • Our Team Reports section will give you the goods on how each club is doing on offense, defense, injuries, and how they’ve performed against the spread (ATS).
  • Umpires are more important than you think. We offer glimpses into the men behind home plate and how their calls can affect a game.
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