2024 World Series Predictions & MLB Odds | Pickswise

Juan Soto to the Yankees? Josh Hader to the Astros? The Dodgers spent how much this offseason? It’s been an eventful last few months with a flurry of major moves happening that have completely changed the landscape of Major League Baseball. Heading into MLB Opening Day, there are four clear contenders for the title: Dodgers, Braves, Astros and Yankees. However, if you remember what happened last year, it’s not always the favorite that wins.

Spring Training officially starts on February 22 which leaves a little over a month until Opening Day. After that, it’s a grueling 162-Game season through the dog days of summer. So, which team will hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy this year? Let’s dive into the 2024 MLB World Series odds, our best bet and then a longshot pick at +4000 odds.

2024 MLB World Series Odds

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.

Heading into MLB Opening Day in 2023, there was only one team that had lower odds than +750. Fast forward a year, and there are 3 teams below that number. However, it’s not too surprising considering the moves each of those 3 teams made in the offseason.

• Los Angeles Dodgers +320
• Atlanta Braves +450
• Houston Astros +700
• New York Yankees +800
• Texas Rangers +1400
• Philadelphia Phillies +1500
• Baltimore Orioles +1500
• Minnesota Twins +2000
• Toronto Blue Jays +2000
• Seattle Mariners +2000
• St. Louis Cardinals +3200
• Tampa Bay Rays +3300
• Chicago Cubs +3700
• Arizona Diamondbacks +4000
• New York Mets +5000
• Boston Red Sox +5000
• Cincinnati Reds +5500
• San Diego Padres +6000
• Detroit Tigers +6000
• San Francisco Giants +6500
• Cleveland Guardians +7500
• Milwaukee Brewers +8500
• Miami Marlins +9000
• Kansas City Royals +15000
• Los Angeles Angels +18000
• Pittsburgh Pirates +20000
• Washington Nationals +25000
• Chicago White Sox +25000
• Oakland Athletics +50000
• Colorado Rockies +50000

2024 MLB World Series Best Bet: Atlanta Braves (+450)

Let’s address the elephant in the room: the Dodgers are stacked. Los Angeles’ starting rotation might be the best I’ve ever seen with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Walker Buehler, James Paxton, Clayton Kershaw and Bobby Miller. Plus, the starting lineup is a modern-day Murderers’ Row with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. However, the reward at +320 isn’t worth the risk in my opinion. Instead, I’ve decided to go back to the well and choose the same team I picked before the 2023 season — the Atlanta Braves.

Atlanta had an incredible regular season with a 104-58 record, and Ronald Acuna Jr. set so many records that I lost count. The Braves did everything right from April to September, which included having the best run differential (+231) and the best record against teams above .500 (55-33). Spencer Strider had a fantastic season, Orlando Arcia had a breakout year, and Michael Harris Jr. continued to impress in the outfield. I felt like the smartest person in the world with a Braves +750 preseason ticket heading into October, but that didn’t last long.

So, what went wrong? The Braves ran into the Phillies in a best-of-five series. I still believe that the Braves would have won if it was a seven-game series. Anyway, the Braves fixed the few remaining holes heading into 2024. First, Eddie Rosario was a liability in left field, and his bat wasn’t what it used to be, so the Braves acquired Jarred Kelenic from the Mariners who was in desperate need of a new home. Secondly, Jared Shuster as the 5th starter meant the Braves offense had to score 6 runs that game to have a chance of winning. So, the Braves shipped him off for an elite reliever and then traded for Chris Sale from the Red Sox. I consider Atlanta’s offseason a smashing success. It’s not the most appealing payout, but at +450, I think it’s worth the investment.

2024 MLB World Series Long Shot: Arizona Diamondbacks (+4000)

This one was a head-scratcher. The Arizona Diamondbacks just won the National League pennant, added to their roster in the offseason, and are still 40/1 to win the World Series in 2024? I don’t get it, but I’ll happily accept the price. Arizona surprised everyone in 2023 with a strong second half of the season and shocked the world with series wins over the Brewers, Dodgers and Phillies to reach the World Series. The Snakes’ lineup came alive, and their bullpen became a group of lockdown relievers. The only issue was the starting rotation, which was headlined by Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, but then a lot of faith and hope had to be placed in the rookie Brandon Pfaadt.

Arizona’s offseason moves included signing Eduardo Rodriguez to strengthen the rotation, Joc Pederson to become the primary designated hitter and Randal Grichuk to provide depth and power to the outfield. In my eyes, the Diamondbacks only got better since their World Series run. I think it’s safe to say the NL West title is out of reach with the Dodgers in the same division, but a Wild Card spot is most certainly attainable, and we’ve seen what the Snakes can do in that spot.