The start of the Major League Baseball season 2024 is just days away and, for now, everyone is a contender. The betting favorite to win the 2024 World Series as opening day approaches is Los Angeles. The LA Dodgers were the team that picked up Shohei Ohtani from free agency and that is one big factor in making them the betting favorites to win it all this season. Below are the betting odds to win the 2024 World Series. If the odds held up, then it would be the Los Angeles Dodgers vs the Houston Astros in the 2024 Fall Classic late this year.
2024 World Series odds: LA vs Houston favored
All odds below are subject to change but were taken from bet365 at 8 AM ET on March 25th, 2024.
- Los Angeles Dodgers +375
- Atlanta Braves +550
- Houston Astros +700
- New York Yankees +1000
- Philadelphia Phillies +1100
- Texas Rangers +1100
- Baltimore Orioles +1200
- Toronto Blue Jays +1400
When we first listed the odds for the 2024 World Series market, it was immediately after the conclusion of the 2023 World Series. At that time, the Braves vs Astros was the matchup that the betting odds implied. However, that has changed following LA"s acquisition of MLB's best player, Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers are the team that has shortened over the off-season as they went from +650 in November 2023 to where they are now.
Shohei Ohtani, Interpreter: MLB News as Opening Day Approaches
The big headline as opening day 2024 approaches involves Shohei Ohtani. How the news with his interpreter and the betting matter will impact the Major League Baseball season is not clear. The matter has been covered extensively, including by Clarissa-Jan Lim, writing at NBC (March 23rd, 2024):
The drama reportedly began behind the scenes on Monday when a spokesperson for Ohtani told ESPN that the player had paid off Mizuhara’s sports gambling debts. Mizuhara himself then sat for an interview with ESPN on Tuesday night, during which he said he had incurred millions in debt betting on sports — though not baseball, which MLB prohibits.
Clarissa-Jan Lim, writing for NBC on March 23rd, 2024
Distractions like this are pretty common in sports news. Once the games start up, don't be surprised if it fades into the background.
Atlanta Braves Recent News
The second favorite to win the World Series is Atlanta. The Braves are in the National League, meaning that they share a path to the World Series with the Dodgers.
One player on Atlanta that could have a lot to do with their success in the upcoming season is Max Fried. He went 8-1 on the season last year with a 2.55 ERA but he only had 14 starts. If he can put a full season together, then the team's one-two punch for starting pitching will be almost impossible to beat. Besides Fried, the team has Spencer Strider, who went 20-5 last season for the club.
The Atlanta Braves will open their season on the road. They will face the Philadelphia Phillies in a series that starts on March 28th, 2024. Strider has been listed as the starter.
Houston Astros: Recent News
The Houston Astros will also open their season on March 28th, 2024. They will face the New York Yankees in a series that Houston will host. The Astros will be going with Framber Valdez, who is now 30 years old. He had a no-hitter last season, however, in the big picture he had just a 12-11 record. The Astros share a division with the defending World Series champions, the Texas Rangers. Most regard this as a stacked division heading into the season.
2024 Major League Baseball betting tips
In our previews for Major League Baseball games, we normally focus on the pitching matchups. We will be starting these up later this week.
