The 2024 MLB season is set to enter the business end of the season with the playoffs set to begin, as the reigning champions Texas Rangers were officially ruled out of contention to defend their crown this season.
The Rangers claimed their first ever title with a 4-1 series win over the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, but have become the 12th team in the last 25 years to win the title then fail to make the playoffs in the following season. So who is considered to be the favorites now?
We'll take a look at the league and the top candidates and provide you with our best free MLB betting picks to try and earn you some extra cash.
| MLB World Series 2024 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +350 | +350 | +350 |
| New York Yankees | +450 | +500 | +500 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +450 | +450 | +500 |
| Houston Astros | +750 | +700 | +700 |
| San Diego Padres | +900 | +1100 | +1100 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +1200 | +1100 | +1100 |
Learn more about how to bet on the MLB World Series here.
MLB World Series 2024 information
- Post-season starts: Tuesday, October 1st 2024
- World Series: Game 7 scheduled Saturday, November 2nd 2024
- Playoff teams: New York Yankees, Cleveland Guardians, Houston Astro, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves or New York Mets.
MLB World Series 2024 favorites
Below you'll find a list of favorites to win the MLB World Series 2024.
Los Angeles Dodgers - (+350)
Shohei Ohtani might be the greatest player in MLB history and considering he is now part of a team that also includes Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Teoscar Hernández, it's no surprise they're the favorites with the bookmakers.
But with Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone expected to miss the rest of the season through injury, their depth beyond Jack Flaherty is essentially non-existent which could cause them problems as the playoffs progress.
Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw is trying to return, but there's no guarantee and he had a 4.50 ERA through seven starts this year which suggests he won't be too much of a boost if he does. So, there's a lot of pressure on Flaherty, Walker Buehler, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Landon Knack.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
New York Yankees - (+500)
Led by arguably the best duo in the league in Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, the Yankees are looking set to win the American League East. There is a big comparison with their two-pronged offense and the San Francisco Giants of 2022 which was led by Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent.
But Aaron Boone's team have some big questions to answer to convince people they're the real deal and can go all the way to claim their first championship since 2009.
Firstly, what type of output will the Yankees get from their lineup beyond Judge and Soto? Jazz Chisholm Jr. feels like the most likely player to step up and provide star-level numbers but he is unproven at this level and is somewhat an unknown.
There are also question marks about if Gerrit Cole can pitch at a level that wins championships? The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner seemed to turn the corner with a 1.93 ERA across five starts in August, but again, he's unproven.
The history of the franchise means they're always in the conversation, but there are better options out there with better value in our opinion.
Philadelphia Phillies - (+500)
There is an argument that when they're at their best the Phillies might be the top team in the sport. However, in the second half of the season they have struggled for consistency after a sensational start to the season before the All-Star break.
Philadelphia's team have had two deep playoff runs recently and now look set to be able to go all the way if Rob Thomson can get the big decisions right.
This is one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball, particularly when they see fastballs, but they have been too reliant on Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber hitting home runs which has cost them recently.
Alec Bohm will still drive runs, but this team will strike out a ton when things aren't going right and in a tight game that could be a major problem. On a more positive note, the rotation trio of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sánchez is as good as the sport has.
The question for the Phillies is whether they'll be able to avoid having their bats go ice-cold as they did last year in the NL Championship game. With more experience in the ranks to draw on, they're a great value bet at +500 to go all the way and win their first championship since 2008.
