SportsBetting3.com’s MLB futures odds guide explains everything you need to know about baseball futures bets. It explains what a MLB futures bet is and how to place a futures bet. This guide also includes the latest odds for the most popular MLB futures markets, plus the best sports betting sites where you can legally place bets in your jurisdiction.
MLB futures odds will update throughout the season, so be sure to bookmark this page and come back as the season progresses.
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Table of Contents
What are MLB Futures Bets?
A futures bet is placed on the outcome of a distant MLB event. Your bet wins if you chose the correct outcome. You may bet on more than one outcome at once, however the odds for each outcome will likely differ depending on each selection.
Popular MLB futures bets include odds to win the World Series, American and National League Pennant winners, and each division winner. Additionally, sports betting sites will have odds to win player awards like the league MVP awards. Some MLB betting sites also have player performance futures odds, like odds to lead the league in home runs, strikeouts, hits, or RBIs.
You can place a futures bet up to any point before the actual event begins or the player award is announced. Odds will vary as the season progresses. A team with a strong winning record will gradually become a favorite to win their league and possibly the World Series. On the other hand, an underperforming player will gradually become a long shot underdog to win a league’s MVP award.
MLB futures odds offer sports bettors two opportunities. One, the chance to bet on a distant event with a potentially higher payoff than any single game bet. Two, insight into which teams or players are likely to come out on top by the end of the season. Whether you actually bet the future or not, the changing odds are a useful datapoint to sharpen your baseball handicapping as the season progresses.
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How MLB Futures Bets Win or Lose
Your futures bet wins if you select the correct outcome. The bet loses if you select the wrong outcome, or if the team, player, or result you selected is no longer eligible for the event. This often happens with World Series or league futures when a team is eliminated from the playoffs. It also happens with player awards when a player gets injured early in the season and can no longer compete against rivals.
What MLB Futures Odds Mean
Each possible MLB future outcome will have moneyline odds at American sportsbooks.
The most likely, or favorite outcome, will have a minus value. The minus value indicates how much you risk to win $100. -180 futures odds mean you risk $180 to win $100.
All other outcomes will have plus values. The plus value indicates how much you win if you risk $100. +400 futures odds mean you win $400 if you risk $100. Similarly, +1500 futures odds mean you win $1500 if you risk $100.
Some futures bets will not have a clear favorite. In this case, all odds will have plus values. The lowest value is considered the most likely, while the highest is considered the least likely.
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How MLB Futures are Graded
The sportsbook will grade the MLB futures bet when the event has officially passed.
In the case of a playoffs event like the World Series, the bet will be graded when a winner is determined. Likewise, the sportsbook will grade a player award futures bet when the winning player is announced.
Some sportsbooks will mark your bet as a loss if your team, player, or selection is no longer viable. This happens when a team is eliminated from the playoffs and cannot win their league Pennant or the World Series.
When Do MLB Futures Come Out?
MLB Futures bets typically come out as soon as the current season’s playoffs have concluded. That means you can expect to see next year’s World Series futures within a week or two after the current year’s World Series winner has been crowned.
Sports betting sites will release futures odds for league and division winners 2-3 weeks after the World Series odds.
The final futures odds for the upcoming MLB baseball season will be published in January and February. These will include player awards, team performance futures, and any less popular futures bets that can’t be offered until oddsmakers have enough information to create a betting market.
MLB Futures Bet Example
|
Team |  BetMGM |
|---|---|
| Dodgers | +340 Bet |
| Braves | +800 Bet |
| Yankees | +800 Bet |
| Phillies | +1100 Bet |
| Mets | +1200 Bet |
| Orioles | +1300 Bet |
| Astros | +1400 Bet |
| Padres | +1400 Bet |
| Red Sox | +2800 Bet |
| Guardians | +2800 Bet |
| Mariners | +2800 Bet |
| Rangers | +2800 Bet |
| Diamondbacks | +3500 Bet |
| Tigers | +3500 Bet |
| Cubs | +4000 Bet |
| Royals | +4000 Bet |
| Brewers | +4000 Bet |
| Twins | +4000 Bet |
| Reds | +5000 Bet |
| Rays | +5000 Bet |
| Blue Jays | +6000 Bet |
| Giants | +8000 Bet |
| Cardinals | +8000 Bet |
| Pirates | +12500 Bet |
| Nationals | +15000 Bet |
| Athletics | +20000 Bet |
| Angels | +25000 Bet |
| White Sox | +50000 Bet |
| Rockies | +50000 Bet |
| Marlins | +50000 Bet |
The following MLB futures bet example is for the odds to win the World Series. The example table contains odds for the top four teams.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Braves | +325 |
| Dodgers | +450 |
| Rays | +700 |
| Astros | +800 |
Sizing Up the Odds
Reviewing the table, no team has a minus value that would indicate it is a clear favorite to win the World Series. Instead, the top four teams all have plus values, with the Atlanta Braves considered the mostly likely to win at +325 odds.
A $100 bet on Atlanta to win the World Series would pay $325. The Los Angeles Dodgers trail the Braves at +450 odds. A $100 bet on the Dodgers would pay $450.
The Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros are less likely to win the World Series based on the odds above. At +700, a $100 bet on Tampa Bay would pay $700 if the Rays win the World Series. A winning Houston Astros bet would pay even more: at +800, a $100 bet would return generous $800 payout.
Betting 2 or More Teams
Note that you could bet on two or more teams to win the World Series. Though this strategy improves your chances of a winning wager, it will come at the cost of a higher upfront investment and potentially greater loss should none of your selections win.
For example, suppose you bet $10 on Atlanta to win $32.50, and $10 on Houston to win $80.
If Atlanta wins the World Series, your net result would be $32.50 (Atlanta wins) – $10 (Houston loses) = $22.50. In this case, the $20 you risked returned $22.50, representing a 112.5% return ( ($22.50/$20) * 100).
If Houston wins the World Series, your net result would be $80 (Houston wins) – $10 (Atlanta loses) = $70. Here the $20 you risked returned $70, producing a whopping 350% return ( ($70/$20) * 100). Pretty Good!
However, if the Tampa Bay Rays end up winning the World Series, you’d lose both bets and take net a -$20 loss. With 30 teams in the major leagues, and at least 6-7 likely contenders, futures bets offer the possibility for high returns if you’re willing to take a big risk.
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How to Bet MLB Futures
Time needed: 1 minute
How to place a MLB Futures bet
- Review odds for the MLB’s upcoming events
Review futures odds for the MLB’s upcoming events. Popular events include the World Series, league and division winners. Also review odds to win player awards.
- Each outcome has moneyline odds
Each outcome will have moneyline odds at American sports betting sites. Minus values indicate how much you risk to win $100. Plus values indicate how much you win if you risk $100.
- Make your selection and place your bet
Make one or more selections and bet your desired amount.
- You may place one or more futures bets on the same event
You can place multiple bets on the same event at once or at different times. Simply choose a different outcome and place another wager.
- Your bet wins if you picked the correct outcome
Your bet wins if you picked the correct outcome. Review your sportsbook’s rules to see when a futures bet can be cancelled.
MLB Futures Bets
The following are the most popular MLB futures bets. These bets are the most commonly placed by recreational and professional bettors alike. Use the odds to guide your handicapping throughout the season.
- World Series
- American League
- National League
- AL & NL MVP Awards
- AL & NL Cy Young Awards
- AL & NL Rookie of the Year Awards
- Home Run Leader
- Strikeout Leader
- Hits Leader
- RBI Leader
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When to Bet MLB Futures
There’s an art and science to betting MLB futures. The trick is to properly time your bet. You don’t want to bet too early without knowing much about how your team or player will perform. But you also don’t want to bet so late that your selection is an obvious winner with a small return. Consider the following before placing a futures bet:
- Do I have good data to backup the bet I’m making? – Don’t pick a team to win the World Series unless they have a winning record and are likely to win throughout the playoffs. Review the team’s recent performances, standings, and stats.
- What does the rest of the schedule look like? – An underdog team that gets off to a surprisingly good start may just have an light early-season schedule. Check the back half of their season. If they’re up against powerhouse opponents, their record will take a quick turn for the worse and they might not be playoff contenders after all.
- Are key players healthy and will they remain in good health? – Though you can’t predict the future health of a particular player, you do know how they’ve fared in recent matchups. Keep tabs on injury reports, no matter how insignificant. This is particularly important for a team’s starting pitchers, relievers, and bullpen in general. A player that gets injured late in the season will almost certainly fall out of contention for a league award, and may impact their team’s chances of progressing through the postseason.
Moderate Your Risk
For every person that wins a big bet on a longshot, there are dozens more that lose. Futures bets are inherently more risky than single-game wagers. Therefore, it’s best to bet on 1-3 selections with a reasonable chance of winning. You may also consider betting small amounts on longshots with higher payouts and larger amounts on likely winners with smaller payouts. This ensures your net result, no matter what happens, will at least produce a breakeven result or a small profit.
MLB Futures FAQs
A futures bet is placed on the outcome of a distant MLB event. Your bet wins if you chose the correct outcome. You may bet on more than one outcome at once, however the odds for each outcome will likely differ depending on each selection.
Minus values indicate how much you risk to win $100. Selections with a minus value are considered strong favorites. Plus values indicate how much you win if you risk $100. Selections with plus values are considered underdogs. A selection with the lowest plus odds value among a market with no minus value favorite would be considered a modest underdog to win.
Your futures bet wins if you select the correct outcome. The bet loses if you select the wrong outcome, or if the team, player, or result you selected is no longer eligible for the event.
The most popular MLB futures bet is the team to win the World Series. Odds for each team to win the next World Series will be released shortly after the current year’s World Series winner has been crowned.
There’s an art and science to betting MLB futures. The trick is properly timing your bet. You don’t want to bet too early without knowing much about how your team or player will perform. But you also don’t want to bet so late that your selection is an obvious winner with a small return.
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MLB Betting Resources
- How to Bet on MLB Baseball – Learn how to bet on MLB baseball with moneylines, totals, and run lines, plus exotics like parlays, props, and futures.
- MLB Betting Sites – We’ve reviewed the best licensed and legal US sports betting sites where you can bet on MLB.
- MLB Odds – Moneylines, totals, and run lines for upcoming MLB matchups. Review odds to win the World Series, plus each league’s Pennant and Divisions.
- MLB Prop Bets – Learn how to bet on MLB prop bets, and then have a look at the latest prop bets from upcoming MLB matchups.
- MLB Underdogs – Review today’s MLB underdog betting opportunities, and our simple underdog betting system.
- MLB Win Total Odds – We explain what a MLB win total bet is, how to place the bet, and offer an example wager to illustrate how this simple wager works.
- MLB Futures Odds – Our tutorial explains how to bet MLB futures with a helpful example, plus the latest odds to win the World Series, American and National Leagues, each division, and MVP awards.
- Undefeated MLB Teams – See which teams are still undefeated in the current regular season.
- World Series Betting Odds – Odds to win the World Series combined with a helpful tutorial that explains how to bet on the Fall Classic with moneylines, totals, and run lines.
- MLB League MVP Odds – See which players are favored to win this season’s American and National League MVP awards.
- Best Way to Bet on MLB Baseball – This helpful tutorial filters out all the noise and sticks to the basics. Learn simple MLB handicapping strategies.
- When to Bet the Run Line vs the Moneyline – Learn when betting the run line offers more value than the moneyline. Know which moneyline values indicate the run line might be worth a look.
- MLB Team Betting Odds – Check out odds for each MLB team’s upcoming matchups, plus team futures, season specials, and team standings.