How do you place bets on the World Series? Learn the World Series favorites, the different markets available, betting advice, and how to place a bet yourself!
The World Series is the pinnacle of the MLB season and provides a fitting conclusion, with two of the best baseball teams going head to head to win the sport’s biggest prize.
Though betting on the World Series may seem overwhelming at first with all the markets and terminology, it’s actually much easier than it appears. So, to help you with your MLB betting, we’ve put together this guide, running through how to bet on the World Series.
Keep reading to find out how to bet on your favorite teams and players for the World Series!
Who is the favorite to win the World Series?
As things stand, the Milwaukee Brewers are the favorites to win the World Series. After defeating the Dodgers, they’ve now moved to the top of the betting market and look in the best position to win. But there are still other franchises in contention, so below we’ve provided a breakdown of each team’s odds:
Team | Odds of winning the World Series |
Milwaukee Brewers | |
Cleveland Guardians | |
Tampa Bay Rays |
How to read World Series betting odds
If you know how to read World Series betting odds, you can work out your potential winnings if your wager is a success. At Betway, we use both fractional odds and decimal odds to represent the chances that a specific outcome will occur.
With fractional odds, this means the number on the left is how much you would win if you staked the number on the right.
For example, you may see that the Milwaukee Brewers are 5/1 to win the World Series. This would mean a $1 bet on the Brewers returns $5 in winnings if they took home the Commissioner’s Trophy (plus your original $1 stake). Then, if a larger $10 stake was placed, you would receive $50 in winnings plus the original bet ($60 total).
For decimal odds, simply multiply your stake by the given decimal of your selected outcome to calculate your potential earnings. Lower numbers indicate the outcome is considered more likely, higher numbers indicate the outcome is less likely but will return larger payouts.
As an example, if you place $1 on the Milwaukee Brewers to win the World Series with odds of 5.0, you’ll win $5 ($1 x 5.0 = $5). This means you’ll profit $4 if your wager is a success.
Popular World Series betting markets
When betting on the World Series, you’ll have a few different markets that you can select from, each offering different betting opportunities and odds. The following section will explain some of the most popular MLB markets that people bet on for the World Series:
Outright winner
This market offers the opportunity for bettors to place a wager on who they think will win the World Series. Simply look at the odds given to each team and select who you believe will win. See if your bet is a winner after the series is finished.
Exact outcome
The ‘exact outcome’ market allows bettors to choose which team they think will win specific games or the series. For example, you could choose the Milwaukee Brewers to win Game 1 and then their opposition to win Game 2. The bet is successful if your selected team wins, regardless of the margin of victory.
Player props
Betting on the ‘player props’ market simply means placing money on an individual player’s statistics or performance instead of the game result. This means you could choose a certain player to record a hit or to hit a home run, alongside other in-game actions too. If your selection occurs during the game, your wager is a success.
Under/over
This market revolves around the combined number of runs scored by both teams. The sportsbook will set a number (also known as a line) and you choose whether the total runs will finish over or under it. For example, if the line is 8.5 and you chose ‘over’, then the game would need 9 runs between both teams for the bet to succeed.
World Series betting advice
When betting on the World Series, there are a few things that can help you and improve your chances of placing a winning bet. Below is some of our World Series betting advice for you to consider:
Consider stats
Looking into a team’s stats before backing them to win can be worthwhile. This can help you to identify certain trends or themes, such as whether a team performs better at home or away, or how players may perform against right-handed or left-handed pitchers.
Take form into account
Form is one of the best things to look into before placing a bet on the World Series. This can help to show which team is carrying more momentum into the game, or if certain players are hitting or pitching above average. This provides better context heading into the game than the season-long picture, which may be less relevant at that stage.
Look at prop markets
Although game winning markets are more popular and ‘easier’ to select, looking into prop markets and betting on individuals can create new opportunities. Prop markets can allow bettors to take advantage of favorable matchups between hitters and pitchers, where one may hold a statistical edge over the other.
How to place a World Series bet
When placing a World Series bet, there are a few steps to take before you can put your money on a certain player or team.
First, you should browse all the markets and decide which one appeals most to you. Do you prefer to simply bet on the winner, or are you more interested in betting on single players and how they might perform?
Once you’ve chosen your desired market, you need to look at the odds to see how likely each outcome is. After you’ve decided, you can select the outcome you want to bet on and add it to your betslip. Then you can choose your stake and confirm your bet.
Where to bet on the World Series
Not sure where to bet on the World Series? Well, you can place your World Series bets right here at Betway! To get started, you just need to register an account or log into an existing one if you’re already signed up – it’s as easy as that!
Need some MLB tips or advice? Well, look no further than Betway Insider, giving you the latest insights, expert opinions, previews, and more to get started with your MLB betting!
