World Series futures odds are open all year round. When you make a World Series futures bet on any team, you lock in your potential payout at the currently posted odds — no matter how much those odds improve or change. Once the two teams are set and the Series begins, World Series betting hits another level altogether with moneyline, run lines, totals and props (pre-game and in-game) aplenty.
Want to bet on the Jays to win the World Series this season? See below for live World Series odds direct from Canadian online sportsbooks.
World Series odds
The latest World Series odds from Canadian online sportsbooks are in our feed below. Once the World Series matchup is set, you’ll find daily MLB odds for each game here as well. Click on any odds to get started.
How do World Series odds work?
You can bet on the World Series in multiple ways, including futures and individual games. You can also bet on player and team props before and during each World Series game itself. During the Series, basic game lines include the following options:
- Moneyline betting: Pick one team to win the next game. The favourite will have negative odds, telling you how much you need to bet for a chance to win $100. The underdog will have positive odds, telling you how much you could win for every $100 you’re willing to bet. You lock in the odds at the time you place a bet, even if they change ahead of the first pitch.
- Run line betting: Pick one team to win the next game with a run line factored in to the final score. Run lines are generally 1.5 runs, but alternatives at different odds are also available. Run lines can turn favourites into underdogs and vice versa, changing the odds quite dramatically. You lock in the odds at the time you place a bet.
- Totals betting: Bet on whether the total runs from both teams will be over or under a line that the sportsbook sets. You lock in the odds at the time you place a bet, which are usually close to even with a small vig included for sportsbooks.
- First five innings: A moneyline bet where you pick one team to be ahead after the first five innings of the next game, generally removing the bullpens from consideration and making the starting pitchers the focus of the bet.
- Innings betting: Bet on a run being scored in a specific inning.
- Prop betting: Bet on players or teams to achieve specific statistical milestones in a World Series game. Often includes over/unders on stat lines.
For more on the basics of baseball betting, check our dedicated page here:
World Series betting trends
The World Series is a best-of-seven series using a 2-3-2 format. That means the team with home-field advantage gets the first two games at home and, if necessary, the last two games as well. The other team gets games three, four and, if necessary, game five at home.
1. Home-field advantage is real
Home-field advantage used to alternate from year to year between the National League and American League teams. In 2003, home-field advantage began going to the league that won the midseason All-Star Game. However, since 2017, home-field advantage has gone to the league champion with the better regular-season record.
Home-field advantage is a pretty big deal, considering the team with it has won the World Series 59% of the time. Plus, 17 out of 26 teams with World Series home-field advantage since 1995 have won it. That’s a solid 65%.
There have been 117 World Series in MLB history, not counting the postseason clashes from the 19th century that went by the same name. The American League has won 66 and the National League 51.
MLB World Series betting tips
Here are some top betting tips that can give your baseball bets a boost when wagering on the MLB World Series:
3 rules for betting on World Series favourites
In short, here are the three rules for betting on World Series favourites:
- Bet early to get the best odds.
- Avoid laying out too much.
- Spread your money and your betting around.
Teams like the Yankees and Dodgers are frequent favourites to win the World Series. Teams tend to run in cycles, however, and if LA and New York are down, other teams like the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox or San Francisco Giants may be up.
After you’ve chosen a team or teams you want to bet on, the earlier you can place a bet on any favourite in the futures market, the bigger the odds will be, setting you up for a much bigger payday than you’d usually find at any other time during the regular season, particularly nearing its end and into the postseason.
Getting a bet, or bets, down early enough at the inflated odds that are available may even allow you to bet on more than one favourite and still make a profit, just as long as one of them wins. The trick here is to do the math and make sure the payout on the team with the lowest odds covers all your bets, at the very least.
It’s hard to say how much you should bet on any favourite to win a title. Except to say that the amount you bet should always be an amount that you can afford to lose. Losing remains a distinct possibility, even when you’re betting on the biggest favourites. You should also pay attention to the odds.
The bigger the favourite, the lower the odds, and you may even have to lay big money to win just a little. If that’s the case, you’re going to want to weigh the big risk versus the small reward, and possibly keep your bets small enough that if disaster strikes, you don’t blow your entire bankroll on it. The truth is, once teams become massive favourites and you have to lay huge money to win just a small amount, it’s probably better just to sit it out.
Of course, as we said before, you can avoid all that trouble by betting the big favourites early, when the odds are still attractive. You should also think about spreading your money around a little to other MLB futures betting markets. For example, if you think the Yankees are going to win the World Series, you probably also make them favourites to win the AL East, and certainly the American League pennant. Double down by betting in these markets, too, or at the very least, take some of the money you are betting in the World Series futures market and put it here instead. That way, even if the team you’re betting on falls just short of winning a title, you may still win some money.
3 rules for betting on World Series underdogs
In short, here are the three rules for betting on World Series underdogs:
- Bet small.
- Look for a reason to bet.
- Time your bet to beat oddsmakers to the punch.
The thing about betting on World Series underdogs is that you can turn a small bet into a big payday. The odds are usually big enough on the biggest World Series underdogs that you can throw around a few bucks betting on more than one and wake up with a massive payday if one does prove miraculous. You just don’t want to bet too big trying to break a sportsbook’s bank. Those odds are that big for a reason, and it’s because it’s likely going to take some kind of miracle for the underdog to pull it off.
The trick to wagering on big World Series underdogs is not to let those big odds trick you into betting. Like we just said, the odds are that big for a reason, and it’s because you’re looking at a team that’s not going to win the World Series, or even get there, an overwhelming majority of the time. Instead, do a little research on these underdog teams and look for a reason why this one or that one might defy the odds. Then, you can justify a small bet on that team.
Finally, betting on World Series underdogs is all about timing. You might not want to bet on a huge long shot too early, as most of the time, that’s just throwing your money away. However, the odds drop dramatically when most World Series underdogs start seriously contending, and you could end up wishing you’d got your bet down earlier. The trick is to time things just right and get your bet down before oddsmakers decide the underdog is actually a favourite in disguise. How you do that is the tough part. All we can tell you is that watching games and consuming everything you can about baseball will give you a serious leg up in your search for dogs turned favourites.
How World Series futures work
You can bet on World Series futures during the offseason, spring training, the regular season and throughout the postseason until the World Series starts. You simply pick a team to win the World Series and book your bet at the current odds.
The odds might change throughout the season, along with every team’s chances of winning the World Series. However, you lock in the odds as posted at the time you place your bet. That means the only thing that will change for you is your chances of winning. It also means you’ll get paid at the odds you locked in if the team you bet on wins, regardless of how small those odds end up being by the time the Series rolls around.
There are 30 teams in Major League Baseball, and sportsbooks post World Series futures odds for all of them. They adjust these odds throughout the year, and as teams fall out of mathematical contention for a spot in the postseason, they drop them from the listing. As that happens, the odds also shrink on the true contenders to win it all. As a result, the odds are usually bigger the earlier you get a bet down, and when it comes to odds, bigger is better.
The opening odds for World Series futures are based on things like past performance and a team’s future projections. They also include the impact roster changes in the offseason may have. The first adjustments come during spring training and these are based on performance, injuries and the impact trades and new signings may have on each team’s projected lineup.
Then, World Series betting odds will shift throughout the regular season based on many of the same factors, with a particular focus on performance and record. Once the postseason starts, the odds tighten up even more and move with each game and series throughout, until the American League and National League Championship Series are finished. Once the World Series matchup is set, betting on World Series futures closes, and betting on the World Series opens.
How are MLB World Series odds set?
Oddsmakers set the World Series futures odds by first examining each team’s play in the previous season. Next, they determine the impact of any players leaving or joining each club in the offseason. After that, they sprinkle in some historical data, looking at a team’s probability of winning and the probability of people betting on that team to win.
Sportsbooks release odds that aim to get people to bet an equal amount on all 30 teams, and they adjust those odds if that doesn’t happen. Finally, sportsbooks will adjust the odds throughout the season based on performance, standings, records, roster changes and oddsmaker projections.
Bet on the World Series MVP, props
You can bet on World Series futures all year long. Then, when the World Series comes around, you can bet on the games and props throughout. These props allow you to bet on the statistical performance of the players and teams in the World Series.
You can even place a bet on who will win the World Series MVP award. The Dodgers’ Corey Seager won the 2020 award, coming in at +175 ahead of the final game. However, you could have booked a bet on Seager to win the MVP ahead of the 2020 World Series at odds up to +1200.
Popular MLB futures bets
Of course, there are other MLB futures markets outside of the World Series. Here are some of the MLB futures odds you can expect to find:
- Division winners
- Pennant winners
- Over/under team win totals
- Wild card berth
- Make the postseason
- AL/NL MVP odds
- AL/NL Cy Young odds
- AL/NL Rookie of the Year
- AL/NL Manager of the Year
- Gold Glove
- Silver Slugger
- All-MLB team
- Hank Aaron Award
- Roberto Clemente Award
- AL/NL Reliever of the Year
- Comeback Player of the Year
- ALCS MVP
- NLCS MVP
- Batting title
- Home run title
World Series betting FAQ
Is it ever good to bet on a repeat WS winner?
Why not? After all, there have been 14 teams that have won back-to-back World Series, but it has been 20 years since anyone did it (1998-2000 Yankees). The Braves, last year’s champs, are among the current favourites in the 2022 World Series futures market.
Which teams have managed a three-peat?
There have been four teams in MLB history to win three or more straight World Series titles. Although only two franchises are on the list.
- 1998-2000 Yankees (three straight)
- 1972-74 A’s (three straight)
- 1949-53 Yankees (five straight)
- 1936-39 Yankees (four straight)
What determines home field for the World Series?
Since 2017, home-field advantage has gone to the league champion with the better regular season record. The All-Star game used to decide it, and before that, it went back and forth between leagues. However, home-field advantage has become such a factor, the current system is really the only fair way to decide who gets it.
When is the best time to place World Series futures bets?
Most of the time, the earlier you can get a bet down, the bigger and better the odds will be. By the time a team proves to be a true contender or heavy favourite, the odds drop dramatically. Bet early and you’ll set yourself up for a much bigger payday.
Which teams have won the most, fewest World Series?
The New York Yankees have won more World Series than any other MLB team, with 27 titles. The Yankees have also played in the most World Series, at 40. In fact, no one else is even close. The St. Louis Cardinals have won the second most titles, at 11. The Los Angeles Dodgers have appeared in the second most World Series, at 21.
Six MLB clubs have never won a World Series:
- Texas Rangers
- San Diego Padres
- Tampa Bay Rays
- Milwaukee Brewers
- Colorado Rockies
- Seattle Mariners
Moreover, the Mariners are the only current team to never have appeared in a World Series. Think they’ll change that this year? Check our Seattle Mariners odds page here to see their latest lines at online sportsbooks.
How many teams have won the World Series back-to-back?
Fourteen teams have won back-to-back World Series, including two that won three straight and two Yankees teams that won four and five straight. However, baseball is currently in the midst of its longest drought without back-to-back World Series champions. It has now been 20 years since the 1998-2000 Yankees won three straight. Here are all the MLB clubs that have won back-to-back World Series:
- 1998-2000 Yankees (three straight)
- 1992-93 Blue Jays
- 1977-78 Yankees
- 1975-76 Reds
- 1972-74 A’s (three straight)
- 1961-62 Yankees
- 1949-53 Yankees (five straight)
- 1936-39 Yankees (four straight)
- 1929-30 A’s
- 1927-28 Yankees
- 1921-22 Giants
- 1915-16 Red Sox
- 1910-11 A’s
- 1907-08 Cubs
What is the biggest World Series upset ever?
Arguments can be made for both the 1969 Mets over the Orioles and 1988 Dodgers over the A’s as the biggest World Series upset of all time.
Recency bias suggests it was the Dodgers over the A’s, as it was such a mismatch on paper. The A’s had Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Ricky Henderson and unhittable reliever Dennis Eckersley. The Dodgers had Cy Young winner Orel Hershiser and not much else. The Dodgers’ best hitter, Kirk Gibson, was injured before the Series and would only bat once. He made the most of it, though, with a Game 1-winning pinch-hit home run off Eckersley.
However, the New York Mets’ entire existence seems based on the lore of the 1969 Miracle Mets. The Mets hadn’t won more than 73 games prior to 1969 when Tom Seaver won 25 games and Nolan Ryan came out of the bullpen to pace the team to a 100-62 record. The thing is, Baltimore had won 109 games, and the Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Dave McNally and Tom Phoebus rotation was already legendary. The O’s were heavy favourites to hold off the Mets, but after losing Game 1, the Mets won four in a row to win the title.