The World Series Betting Guide for 2024

✅Fact Checked by: Michael Savio

The MLB World Series is baseball’s biggest event. Being a monster betting event, making a sound decision on the best World Series betting sites can be confusing.

Our experts cut through-the-spin to recommend only top-quality sites in their reviews. You can find their top-rated sites in the table below.

Legal Betting Sites

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For those interested in how we rate the betting sites in the above table, please check out our sportsbooks reviews page, where you may also access reviews about each by clicking on the “review” tab.

The biggest event on the MLB annual calendar is October’s World Series. The series has provided fans with some of the best moments in the sports’ history, helping it become a part of the fabric of American culture.

With a plethora of World Series betting sites , choosing the best betting apps can be confusing. Discovering which site offers the best World Series betting odds or World Series prop bets can confound even the most experienced bettors.

We do the hard work and research for you, eliminating the bogus World Series betting sites and recommending only the very best online sportsbooks for your World Series baseball betting convenience and enjoyment.

What is the World Series?

The World Series is the annual championship series of the 30 professional Major League Baseball (MLB) teams that are located across the United States and Canada. The best-of-seven series takes place between the winners of the AL and NL Championship Series’, with the first team to get four wins being crowned champion.

The team with home-field advantage (best regular season record) hosts the first two games and the final two games of the series, while their opponents host games three, four, and five.

How to bet on the 2023 MLB World Series

Newcomers to World Series betting and even experienced experts looking to get the best World Series betting odds go through the same step-by-step process in order to ensure they always get the most value. You can find those steps listed below:

1. You’ll want to begin by signing up for several of the recommended World Series betting sites listed above to enjoy the variety and best odds to win the World Series. Different betting sites may have varying World Series Odds depending on the market type you are looking for. We will examine the different betting market types available later in this betting guide.

2. From one of the World Series Betting sites you’ve joined, head to the ‘Baseball betting’ section, or it may be named ‘MLB’ or ‘World Series betting’. Examine the different betting odds and markets available, such as moneylines, point spreads, parlays, MLB World Series futures, MLB World Series MVP odds, etc.

Examine which betting markets appear to give the greatest returns on your betting investment.

3. Determine a betting amount that you can afford to bet and potentially lose. Our tip – consider your MLB World Series betting an entertainment expense, not as a secondary income stream.

4. Once that is done, you’ll need to deposit money into your accounts. World Series betting sites all offer easy and secure payment methods. Just follow the prompts by clicking ‘deposit’, and you’re ready to start betting on the World Series.

5. The sooner you place your wagers, the better. The closer you get to the World Series itself, the more the World Series Betting odds fluctuate, and usually, they fluctuate in favor of the World Series sites.

Bet Smart – Bet early.

Popular Types of World Series Bets

There are many different types of bets available in the MLB World Series. Like many pro sports championships, you can bet on the team that will ultimately win the World Series on the futures betting markets, on each game individually or even props;

  • Money line – Place a wager on which team will win each individual game. No margin of victory to concern yourself with, just a straightforward win or loss wager.
  • Run Line Betting – Similar to a point spread in the NFL or NBA. The World Series Betting site adjusts the line for the underdog to receive an advantage. The underdog receives +1.5 runs, and the favorite is handicapped 1.5 runs.
    For example, in a Braves vs Yankees World Series matchup with the Braves as favorites, Atlanta must win by two or more runs, or New York must either win or not lose by more than one run to win your wager.
  • Future bets – Straightforward wagering on which team you believe will win the World Series. The sooner in the season you place the wager, the better the odds you will receive.
  • Total Runs (over/under) betting – Simply wager over or under the sportsbook’s posted number of runs for the game. For instance, if the total for the Red Sox vs Mets match is set at 10.5 runs and the final score of the game is 6-4 (a combined score of 10 runs), it means those betting ‘under’ would have won. The over would be the winner if the final score was 6-5 (11 runs).
  • Prop bets – There are enormous possibilities for MLB World Series prop bets. From World Series First Home Run Scorer, number of strikeouts in the World Series, most series RBIs or the MLB World Series MVP odds, the list of prop bets is endless.

Betting Option to Avoid

Parlay betting is the riskiest bet type offered by World Series betting sites. Given their accumulative nature, parlay wagers are difficult to win and are therefore avoided by newcomers unless a parlay promo is offered.

Parlay bets usually are a set of 3-or-more wagers, with each bet being referred to as a leg. They usually cover bets from multiple games, although same-game parlays have seen an uptick in popularity over the last year.

Each leg you add to a parlay bet increases the overall odds and payout, but losing just one will result in losing the entire bet. This is what makes parlay bets so tricky, as you need to predict multiple outcomes correctly for the bet to win.

For beginners looking to extend their experience in parlay wagering, be on the lookout for parlay promos from World Series betting sites that will pay out your win even if you happen to lose one leg of your World Series parlay bet.

Live World Series Betting

Live betting on MLB baseball has grown in popularity in recent years, where real-time odds updates re-set after each inning, providing you with flexible and realistic betting experiences online.

During the World Series, many sportsbooks offer more live betting options than usual, with updated money lines, run lines, live in-game props (usually on every batter on each team’s line-up), and totals (over/under) throughout the games.

Many sportsbooks now offer a ‘cash out’ option to combine with your live betting to opt out of your bet if you wish to collect your win early taking a smaller payout but eliminating the risk of losing the full bet.
Stay up-to-date with the live betting action conveniently anywhere/anytime, as all quality World Series betting sites offer live betting on the World Series through their mobile betting apps.

Who is the favorite to win the World Series

If you are wondering you the favorites are to win the World Series are, we have you covered. Below are the current favorites along with the best odds we have found for each.

Tampa Bay Rays

BetMGM - +600
Borgata  - +600
The Rays had the best start in baseball in 2023 by winning their first 13 games. They have a fantastic balance between pitching and hitting, thanks to elite performances by starting pitcher Shane McClanahan and shortstop Wander Franco.

Atlanta Braves

PlaySugarhouse - +500
The Braves have been the class of the NL this season, and they have not shown any signs of slowing down. Their hitting has been solid, and their young rotation is anchored by Cy Young favorite Spencer Strider and a breakout season from Bryce Elder.

Los Angeles Dodgers

DraftKings  - +550
Bet365 - +675
The Dodgers stumbled out of the gates in 2023, but have turned things around to put themselves back into contention for the NL West title. They feature one of the most talented lineups in baseball, which includes Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, JD Martinez, and Max Muncy.

Houston Astros

PlaySugarhouse  - +750
The defending World Series Champions had a slow start to the season, thanks to their struggling offense. Their bats have recently come alive and the Astros are charging up the standings as a result. However, they have dealt with a slew of injuries in their starting rotation which could cost them games as the season goes.

New York Yankees

PlaySugarhouse - +1200
The Yankees are always a favorite to win the World Series, thanks to a large payroll that keeps their roster filled with the best players in the league. Their lineup is led by Aaron Judge, who is having another incredible season after winning the AL MVP and breaking Roger Maris’ home run record in 2022. Their pitching needs help, but you can expect the Yankees to address that by the trade deadline.

Texas Rangers

FanDuel  - +2000
The Rangers came in with low expectations, but they have looked like the most dominant team in baseball for much of the season. They have star shortstop Corey Seager back in the lineup, which was already one of the deepest in the league. The pitching has also been good, but former Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom is out for the season, meaning they will be without their ace.

MLB World Series betting bonuses and promotions

Come September or October 2023, World Series betting sites will release a range of betting promotions to celebrate baseball’s culminating event.

Of course, the sportsbooks will come up with some new deals to back up long-term annual favorites like;

  • World Series Odds Boosters
  • World Series Free Bets
  • Daily Profit Boosts on all World Series bets on Log-in
  • World Series extra-innings money-back
  • World Series In-Game Prop Parlay Specials – ALL money returned if you lose only 1-leg of your in-game prop parlay wager of 3 legs or more.
  • World Series Parlay Insurance – Get $25 Money Back if you lose only 1-leg of a 4+-leg multi-World Series-game parlay bet.

Tips and strategies for World Series betting

There is no single secret to developing a successful World Series betting strategy. However, there are a number of World Series betting tips that you can follow to give yourself the best possible chance to came out as a winner;

  • When money line betting, study the starting pitchers match-up.
  • For futures wagering, bet on deep rosters that have the quality to cover injuries and absences during the 162-game regular season.
  • The World Series is almost always close. Look for teams with players who can steal bases to break open tight games.
  • Deep pitching rosters usually win World Series titles.
  • Bet with your brain, not your heart. Following your personal bias is doomed.
  • Bet early to get the best odds available.
  • Stay informed – Follow online sportsbooks and our very own World Series betting predictions articles and betting news covering the best bets.
  • Bet only with money you can afford to lose – do that and your betting decisions will be lean and wise.

Statistics and useful general information

World Series Winners Last 10 years

  • 2022 – Houston Astros
  • 2021 – Los Angeles Dodgers
  • 2019 – Washington Nationals
  • 2018 – Boston Red Sox
  • 2017 – Houston Astros
  • 2016 – Chicago Cubs
  • 2015 – Kansas City Royals
  • 2014 – San Francisco Giants
  • 2013 – Boston Red Sox
  • 2012 – San Francisco Giants

Most World Series Wins

  • 27 – New York Yankees
  • 11 – St Louis Cardinals
  • 9  – Boston Red Sox/ Oakland Athletics
  • 8 –  San Francisco Giants

World Series Biggest Underdog Victory

With only 15 games left in the 2011 regular season, the St Louis Cardinals were +99900 to win the World Series.

Going 11-4 in their last 15 games, the Cardinals clawed their way into the NL Wild Card spot and went on to win the World Series over the Texas Rangers.