2026 MLB Betting Report: Reigning Champion Dodgers Still Popular with Bettors

The Dodgers won the last two World Series, so it’s no surprise that (a) Los Angeles is a strong favorite in 2026 MLB futures odds, and (b) the Dodgers are very popular with bettors. But as Opening Day arrives, there are some surprises, too. "A couple teams that haven’t been publicly supported in a while are seeing interest this year. There’s a lot of love for the Pirates and the Orioles," Caesars Sports head of baseball trading Eric Biggio said. Read on as Biggio helps set the table with insights on 2026 World Series odds, MLB season win totals and more. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Tempting Totals When it comes to MLB futures, most bettors think about the World Series or the NL or AL champion. But there are plenty of other markets that often are better value propositions. Among them: division winners, Yes/No to make the playoffs and season win totals. That last category is where Pittsburgh and Baltimore have made significant movement. Over Thanksgiving weekend, when Caesars Sports traditionally posts MLB season win totals, the Pirates opened at 70.5. Now, with 2024 NL Rookie of the Year and 2025 NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes leading the way, Pittsburgh’s total is up to 78.5 (Over -125). That still means oddsmakers’ expectations are for a losing season. But it’s a significant jump, nonetheless. "With the Pirates, it’s been a steady stream of one-way money on the Over," Biggio said, noting it’s not just public money, but the smart set continuing to bet on Pittsburgh. "Sharp bettors are coming in, even at the higher numbers." Baltimore’s win total opened at 78.5 and is out to 86.5. So the odds now suggest a winning season for the Orioles. "With the Orioles, I think we just put the opener too low, and sharps recognized that," Biggio said. "Combined with their trade for [outfielder] Taylor Ward and signing [first baseman] Pete Alonso, the Orioles showed that they’d spend money. "And that’s when the recreational bettors came in, as well. So the sharps came in early on the O’s, and the general public came in after." The White Sox still have the second-lowest season win total on the board, at 67.5. But that’s up from a 63.5 opener, with Biggio noting some preseason interest in Chicago, too. So which team is trending in the wrong direction? "On the flip side, people are really down on the Cardinals. Usually, it’s all positives around that franchise. But now, their win total is in the 60s," Biggio said. Indeed. St. Louis opened at 74.5 and is down to 69.5 in MLB win totals. Dominant Dodgers When we last saw the Dodgers — not counting Spring Training — it was in a riveting Game 7 of the World Series. Los Angeles won 5-4 in 11 innings over Toronto to claim its second straight championship. Based on 2026 World Series odds, bookmakers believe the Dodgers are even better this season. Los Angeles is a tidy +225, meaning a $100 bet would profit $225 (total payout $325) if the Dodgers three-peat. "It’s probably the shortest odds for a World Series favorite in 25 years or so, since the Yankees had their back-to-back-to-back seasons," Biggio said, alluding to New York’s three straight titles from 1998-2000. With such a short price, one would think bettors might look to other teams, wanting a larger potential payout. But that’s not the case at Caesars. "It’s not slowing the bettors at all. The Dodgers lead by far in ticket count, and they’re No. 1 in dollars, too," Biggio said. To make the gamble more worth the go, some bettors are going the parlay route. "In vogue these days are futures parlays," Biggio said. "For example, they’re taking Scottie Scheffler to win the Masters and the Dodgers to win the World Series. Or Duke to win March Madness and the Dodgers to win the World Series." Scheffler is +460 to win next month’s Masters. Combine that with the Dodgers’ +225 odds to win the World Series, and you get a two-leg parlay with odds of +1720. So a $100 bet would profit $1,720 (total payout $1,820). That’s much more attractive to the public betting masses. Duke barely survived the NCAA Tournament’s first round but is now on to the Sweet 16. The Blue Devils are +400 to win the title, so when combined with a Dodgers World Series, that futures parlay has odds of +1525. Which means a $100 wager profits $1,525, if both teams win it all. With the additions of closer Edwin Diaz and outfielder Kyle Tucker, the Dodgers’ season win total is improving, as well. Caesars opened Los Angeles at 97.5 and is up to 102.5. "Once the Dodgers got Diaz and Tucker, it pumped up their numbers even more," Biggio said. Others of Note Last season, the Mariners made a run to the ALCS vs. the Blue Jays. Seattle held a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 matchup to stand on the brink of the World Series. But the Mariners lost Games 6 and 7 in Toronto. Still, bettors took notice of last season and are backing the M’s in World Series futures odds this season. "The Mariners are getting some love. They’re up there in ticket count and liability," Biggio said. "The Orioles, Red Sox and the New York teams are getting action, too." Seattle is the +1100 third choice to win the championship, behind the Dodgers and Yankees (+950). The Mets are the +1400 co-fourth choice, along with the Blue Jays, while the Red Sox are the +1600 co-sixth choice, joined by the Phillies. Biggio also pointed to a couple teams he deems under the radar and perhaps worth a look now in World Series futures. "I think the Tigers are live at 28/1. They’ve shown their going for it," Biggio said, alluding to the addition of lefty starter Framber Valdez. "And this might be the last year the Tigers have with Tarik Skubal. I think there’s some value there." Skubal won the last two AL Cy Young Awards. Looking a little further down the odds board, Biggio said the Diamondbacks could be worth a World Series wager, after a disappointing 80-82 campaign in 2025. "The Diamondbacks are a longer shot that could be dangerous, at 60/1," he said. "Almost everything went wrong for them last year. It won’t take a lot for them to turn it around. "I could see the Padres taking a step back and the D-backs taking a step forward. If the Diamondbacks get in the playoffs, they’ve got a shot." At +6000, a $100 bet would profit six grand on an Arizona title. Award Season No surprise, Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge are popular in the AL and NL MVP markets. Judge is the +200 favorite in AL MVP odds, and Ohtani is an even stronger favorite in NL MVP odds at -115. "It’s the usual suspects," Biggio said. "And people are also high on Ronald Acuna Jr. to have a big bounce-back year, They’re betting him on MVP and in stolen bases." Acuna suffered a torn ACL in May 2024, missing the rest of that season and the first two months of the 2025 season. The Braves star also missed a couple of weeks in late July and early August last season with a calf injury. Acuna is the +1200 third choice in NL MVP odds, behind Ohtani and Mets outfielder Juan Soto (+800). Acuna is +1100 to be the MLB stolen bases leader, trailing five others, including +300 favorite Elly De La Cruz of the Reds. Reigning AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz is making waves in a couple of markets. "He’s a player people are really high on this season," Biggio said of the A’s standout. "People are betting him in AL MVP, to hit the most home runs and to be the first player to 10 home runs." Kurtz is the +1100 fifth choice in AL MVP odds. In season-long home run odds, he’s also fifth at +1000, with Ohtani and Judge the +400 co-favorites. In the race to 10 home runs prop, Kurtz is +750, trailing only Judge (+500) and Ohtani (+650).