History of MLB World Series
Major League Baseball’s championship game, the World Series, puts the American League Championship Series (ALCS) winner against the National League Championship Series (NLCS) winner in a best out of seven series. When the World Series first began in 1903, the World Series was a best out of nine series between the AL and NL teams with the best record. The format would go to seven in 1905; the two teams set to play the 1904 World Series never played due to the NL champion New York Giants‘ refusal to play the game. The World Series would go back to a best of nine format for three years from 1919 to 1921 before going back to the best of seven format in 1922.
The format of the World Series has been the same since 1922; however, the way teams make it to the World Series has changed over the years. The World Series started with the team with the best record from the AL facing the team with the best record in the NL has changed with the addition of MLB post-season playoffs. When 1969 came around, MLB added a two-team playoff and split teams into two separate conferences within the AL and NL. Both leagues got an Eastern Division and Western Division, with the team with the best record in each division facing each other in a best of five playoff game, with the winner advancing to the World Series.
The two-team playoff would last until 1994, when MLB changed the number of divisions in each league from two to three. The change allowed the top team in each division to go to the MLB playoffs and added one extra team that had the best record in the league but didn’t win their division. The way that teams get to the World Series has changed over the years. However, the format of the World Series has remained the same for an entire century when the 2022 season starts.
MLB World Series Betting Picks
When people look at the MLB World Series odds 2022, they might be inclined to take the favorite early on. Sometimes people will pick the team that made it to the World Series the previous year. But there have only been two teams consistently making it to the World Series over the past five years. Those two teams are the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Los Angeles Dodgers lineup is solid for the MLB season, while the Astros are looking to get their Ace pitcher Justin Verlander back in action for the season. They are solid contenders every season and don’t look to be stopping that trend anytime soon. The 2021 World Series Champion Atlanta Braves will be fighting to be the first back-to-back World Series Champions since the New York Yankees did that in 2000.
MLB World Series Betting Trends
The World Series betting trends see the Dodgers become more of a favorite as Spring Training goes on. The Astros and Braves have slipped some during Spring Training with the MLB World Series odds, while teams like the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays have made an upward trend with the odds. Most of the other teams involved have either stayed the same or made very little movement.
World Series Futures
The World Series futures allow gamblers to pick which team they think will win the World Series. People can bet on MLB World Series odds on these futures before the MLB regular season starts. People can also make World Series futures bets during the season if they choose to do so. The MLB world series odds have the Los Angeles Dodgers as the early favorite to win the World Series, while last year’s runner-up, the Houston Astros, have MLB odds to win the World Series around +1000.
After the MLB regular-season starts, the MLB World Series odds for these futures wagers will move. Teams with the best record will be the favorite in the futures MLB World Series odds. When the season gets closer to the World Series Championship game, odds will shift to possible negative odds for the favorite, depending on how good they are compared to other MLB teams.
Some of the best odds on teams for World Series futures are found before the MLB season officially starts. But as time goes on, the teams with the best record will continue to be at the top of the list and have lower odds. But even with the shifting of the odds during the season, people can find odds that turn out to be good for them in the end.
The most recent example of this was when the 2021 World Series Champion Atlanta Braves were +5000 and had a 0.3% chance of winning the World Series after the All-Star break ended. Odds in the MLB World Series futures are constantly moving, so always look at what’s going on with the teams to see why there is a shift in those MLB World Series odds. While you can find value in the MLB World Series odds later in the season, that can be risky as the close to the end of the season leaves very few games for a team to catch up to make the playoffs.
How to bet on the World Series
Betting on the MLB World Series odds requires carefully examining all the MLB teams, along with the players and coaches on those teams. The previous year’s World Series winner can be the favorite for a repeat title run, but it can be challenging for a team to win back-to-back World Series in the MLB. While this can happen, it usually doesn’t unless that team is very dominant in the MLB.
The MLB World Series odds might show gamblers that a previous year’s winner is a favorite, but as we know, the last winner doesn’t usually win the World Series the following year. You will need to look closer at the league’s teams to see which is the best for the MLB World Series odds 2022.
With MLB World Series odds for futures, you can hedge your bets before the MLB season starts due to favorable odds on futures before the season starts. People that do bet-hedging will pick two or more teams to bet on, with the largest wager going on the team with the least favorable odds and smaller stakes on the other team or teams, so that the stakes will cover any losing bets, hence the term hedging. Doing this is very risky but can pay off if one of the wagers is hit.
Here is an example of how to hedge a bet on MLB futures betting:
- Place a $50 bet on Los Angeles Dodgers +500
- Place a $25 bet on Houston Astros +1000
- Place a $25 bet on New York Yankees +1100
So you would be betting a total of $100 on three teams to win the World Series. However, only one team can win the World Series, meaning the other three bets “hedge” against the losing bets if one of the three wagers is a winner. If the $50 bet wins, you win $250 but have $50 deduced to cover the two losing bets, leaving you with $200. If the Astros win, the amount you win is $250 minus $75 on the losing bets for $175. The Yankees would get you $275 minus $75 on the losing bets for $200.
As you can see, hedging bets leave you some chances to win money. However, it’s risky as a three-team hedge leaves 27 other teams that could win the World Series. Also, the more bets you make on hedges, the lower your potential winnings will be. That’s why hedging a bet should be approached with great caution.
For those looking to just bet on one team or would like to learn what to look at with teams before hedging a bet, here are some tips on World Series futures before the season starts:
- Is there a team with players who have made improvements to make a run for the World Series?
- Is there a team that had a chance to win last year’s World Series, only to come up short?
- Did the winner from last year keep all the same players and coaches to help their chances of repeating a World Series run?
- Did teams in the MLB improve their rosters in an attempt to stop last year’s World Series winner from winning it again?
- Are there any standout players called up or signed by a team to help them win the World Series?
- Have any pre-season trades been made that could affect a team’s chances of winning the World Series?
People who wish to wait before betting on MLB World Series odds can look at different things, depending on how long one has waited before getting into an MLB World Series futures wager. While the team with the most wins will be the favorite as the season progresses, the MLB World Series odds will also eliminate any team that cannot make it to the World Series as the season and playoffs go on.
Here are some tips for those who are getting later on the MLB World Series futures betting:
- Are there any injured players that will be out for an extended amount of time?
- Has the team made any trades before the trade deadline in hopes of making a push for winning the World Series?
- Is there a team getting on a hot streak or cold streak that could affect their chances of winning the World Series?
- Does the team have a solid or weak bullpen?
- Does the team have a hitter getting on a hot or cold streak as the season progresses?
These are just some of the critical things to look at before making a wager on the MLB World Series odds in futures betting. These tips can help the gambler have a better chance of winning an MLB World Series odds in 2022.
When looking at a sportsbook site to place a wager on the MLB World Series odds, you might see something like this:
The odds will be straight moneyline bets. That means the team you pick will have to win the World Series for the wager to be a winner for you. With teams showing plus odds, it shows how much you will win on a $100 bet. So if you take the Orioles at +25000, you will win $25,000 on a $100 wager.
2022 World Series Teams To Bet On | Moneyline Odds | |
---|---|---|
1 | Los Angeles Dodgers | -200 |
2 | Houston Astros | +1000 |
3 | New York Yankees | +1000 |
4 | Atlanta Braves | +1100 |
5 | Chicago White Sox | +1100 |
6 | Boston Red Sox | +1800 |
7 | Milwaukee Brewers | +1800 |
8 | Tampa Bay Rays | +1600 |
9 | San Diego Padres | +1200 |
10 | Toronto Blue Jays | +1000 |
11 | New York Mets | +1100 |
12 | San Francisco Giants | +2000 |
13 | St. Louis Cardinals | +2000 |
14 | Philadelphia Phillies | +3300 |
15 | Cincinnati Reds | +8000 |
16 | Los Angeles Angels | +2800 |
17 | Oakland Athletics | +8000 |
18 | Cleveland Guardians | +7500 |
19 | Seattle Mariners | +3000 |
20 | Washington Nationals | +12500 |
21 | Chicago Cubs | +10000 |
22 | Colorado Rockies | +20000 |
23 | Detroit Tigers | +4000 |
24 | Minnesota Twins | +6600 |
25 | Miami Marlins | +6600 |
26 | Kansas City Royals | +10000 |
27 | Pittsburgh Pirates | +25000 |
28 | Texas Rangers | +7500 |
29 | Arizona Diamondbacks | +25000 |
30 | Baltimore Orioles | +25000 |
If you see a team with a number with a minus sign, that shows you how much you will need to wager to win $100. So if you take the Dodgers at -200 in this example, you would need to wager $200 to get $100 on a winning stake. When you do MLB World Series odds betting before the season starts, all the teams will have plus odds, but you will start to see those negative odds when the playoffs draw to a close.
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Series first began in 1903, the World Series was a best out of nine series between the AL and NL teams with the best record.
The World Series futures allow gamblers to pick which team they think will win the World Series.
Those two teams are the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers.
After the MLB regular-season starts, the MLB World Series odds for these futures wagers will move. Teams with the best record will be the favorite in the futures MLB World Series odds.