The 2024 MLB postseason starts on Tuesday. The regular season is finally over and attention can now turn to the month-long competition to see who will be crowned the 2024 MLB World Series winners. In the latest MLB futures betting, the LA Dodgers are the favorites to win the NLCS, and the Yankees are favored to win the ALCS.
The final two Wildcard spots were clinched on Monday night. The Braves and the Mets got the win each they required from their delayed doubleheader at Truist Park.
As a result, the Diamondbacks miss out. And with the Texas Rangers also out, the playoffs start without the two World Series finalists from the previous year for the first time since 2007.
The D-backs needed either the Braves or the Mets to be swept on Monday to qualify.
The Wildcard matches get underway on Tuesday, and there is no room for rest for either of Monday’s winners. The Mets are in Milwaukee to face the Brewers. New York are the underdogs at +110, with the Brewers at +130.
As for Atlanta, they travel to California to face the Padres at Petco Park in their opening match. The Padres are -180 to win the series. The Braves are +150.
Elsewhere, the best MLB betting sites make the Houston Astros are -180 to beat the Detroit Tigers (+150), and the Orioles are -170 favorites to beat the Kansas City Royals (+145).
In the off-season ahead of the 2024 MLB season, the LA Dodgers made significant investments in their playing roster as they attempt to get their name on the Commissioner’s Trophy again.
As a result, the Dodgers started the regular season as the favorites to win the World Series at +300. Fast forward a few months, and guess what, they are still the favorites, but the Dodgers are now +350.
But the truth is, the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were brought in for the postseason. This is why the big bucks were spent. And now is the time for them to deliver.
Second in the betting to win the 2024 World Series are the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees. They are both +450 with the best MLB postseason betting sites.
The betting favorite to win the AL Pennant is the New York Yankees at +175. The Yankees secured their place in the ALDS as the No.1 seeds with a 94-68 (.580) record in the AL East.
| American League |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | +175 | +175 | +175 |
| Houston Astros | +350 | +350 | +350 |
| Cleveland Guardians | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +450 | +450 | +450 |
| Detroit Tigers | +1500 | +1500 | +1500 |
| Kansas City Royals | +1500 | +1500 | +1500 |
New York was the first team in the league to clinch a berth when they qualified on September 18th. And with Aaron Judge backed up by Juan Soto, this looks to be the Yankees’ best chance in years to win their first Pennant since 2009.
Expected to be the biggest rivals to the Yankees are the Houston Astros (+350), the Cleveland Guardians (+400), and the Baltimore Orioles (+450).
The Astros won the Pennant in 2021 and 2022. They have also reached the ALCS for the past seven years. With a record like that, the Astros certainly can’t be written off.
Houston will have to overcome the Detroit Tigers in the Wildcard Series. And then the No.2 seeded Cleveland Guardians if they are to make it to eight Championship Series in a row.
It would be madness to write them off, and it would shock no one to see Houston in another ALCS, but we have to go with the Yankees to win this year.
No prizes for guessing the LA Dodgers (+160) are the favorites to win the NLCS for the first time since 2020. The Dodgers finished the regular season with the best record in MLB (98-64).
| National League | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA Dodgers | +160 | +160 | +160 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +200 | +200 | +200 |
| San Diego Padres | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| New York Mets | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Atlanta Braves | +1100 | +1100 | +1100 |
LA didn’t have things all their own way in the NL West. The Padres were only five games behind, finishing with a 93-69 record. Despite this, San Diego is only the third favorite to win the NLCS at +600.
Why? Because of the outstanding form of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies won the NL East with an impressive 95-67 record. They won the Championship Series in 2022 and were runners-up to the Diamondbacks last year. To win the National League Pennant again, the Phillies are just +200.
Considering that they are on the same side of the bracket as the Dodgers, Philadelphia has very short odds and it’s clear the bookies see this as a two-horse race.
But, the Dodgers didn’t bring in Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for no reason.
If they don’t win the NL Pennant this year, serious questions will be asked. We must expect their big-money signings to produce the goods and make the LA Dodgers our pick to win the NLCS.
Check below for our list of the Top-Rated Sportsbooks for Online Sports Betting:
About the Author
Dean is primarily a fan of English football who regularly attends games, and combining his hobby with his job, he is now a full-time sports betting writer. Rather than going down the educational route into sports journalism, Dean learned his trade by writing for his English football betting website since 2009, where he now boasts nearly 15 years of experience. After writing about football daily for years, Dean has taken the skills he learned and now uses them to great effect writing for numerous affiliate sites across the internet. A general all-around sports enthusiast with a passion for English football and cricket, Dean is also well able to turn his hand to writing about golf, tennis, F1, boxing, snooker, darts, and North American sports. Combining his extensive knowledge and experience with British humor and wit, Dean has developed into a trusted voice within the sports betting industry.
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