MLB Picks & Predictions

The 2025 MLB season is set to be full of action with record new signings and some key transfers. We've got all the information to help you make the most informed betting decisions this 2024 MLB season. Don't forget to check out our expert MLB picks and predictions for info about the best bets and parlays! Below is all you need to know before casting your first wager this season.

2025 MLB Season Picks and Betting Tips

With its deep history and marathon regular season, MLB has tens of millions of fans across the US. America’s Pastime might have changed since the days of Babe Ruth, but its fans are still as passionate, and the game’s biggest stars are lucratively rewarded for their skills.

Bettors have a lot to choose from when it comes to betting on MLB – futures markets have become a fundamental part of baseball discourse. On this page, you'll have all the info you need to start making accurate baseball predictions We have you covered for lineups, pitching matchups, and the best free expert picks and predictions with odds from a top baseball sportsbook. 

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MLB Picks: Who Will Win the 2025 World Series?

The defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers are the clear favorites to win the World Series in 2025. After acquiring Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, and others in the winter, the Dodgers are poised to become the first team to go back-to-back since the New York Yankees at the turn of the century.

Behind Los Angeles, the New York Yankees are the favorites in the American League, despite seeing Juan Soto depart for their cross-city rivals during the offseason. The Yankees added plenty of talent in Devin Williams, Max Fried, Paul Goldschmidt, and Cody Bellinger. Their rotation is formidable on paper, and the offense can do plenty of damage if Aaron Judge stays healthy.

The National League East triumvirate of the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and Philadelphia Phillies represent the Dodgers’ nearest challengers in the NL. In the American League, the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros are among the favorites. 

It’s no surprise to see last season’s two World Series teams as the favorites to win the Fall Classic in 2025, particularly with their respective activity during the offseason. 

Our pick for the 2025 World Series winner is the LA Dodgers. 

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2024 World Series: Who are the betting favorites?

• Los Angeles Dodgers +240
• New York Yankees +700
• Atlanta Braves +900
• Philadelphia Phillies +1100
• New York Mets +1100
• Baltimore Orioles +1400
• Houston Astros +2000
• Boston Red Sox +2200
• San Diego Padres +2600
• Texas Rangers +2700
• Seattle Mariners +2900
• Chicago Cubs +3000
• Minnesota Twins +3100
• Detroit Tigers +3100
• Arizona Diamondbacks +3200
• Cleveland Guardians +3500
• Kansas City Royals +4000
• Milwaukee Brewers +4100
• Tampa Bay Rays +4800
• Toronto Blue Jays +5500
• Cincinnati Reds +7000
• San Francisco Giants +9000
• Pittsburgh Pirates +12000
• St. Louis Cardinals +13000
• Los Angeles Angels +18000
• Athletics +22000
• Washington Nationals +32000
• Miami Marlins +50000
• Colorado Rockies +50000
• Chicago White Sox +50000

Odds provided by FanDuel

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MLB: American League 

The AL East is by far the strongest division in the American League. The Yankees and Orioles are joined by the Boston Red Sox as legitimate contenders to win the pennant. Boston had a big-time winter, adding Alex Bregman, Garrett Crochet, and others.

The Orioles opted to stick with what they have, letting Corbin Burnes walk in free agency and failing to make many notable additions. Their offense once again projects to be elite, but preseason projections have them in the bottom 10 in fWAR from their rotation.

While the Astros, Texas Rangers, and Seattle Mariners are all at a shorter price than any AL Central team, all three of the west’s supposed contenders have their flaws. 

Seattle was too passive this winter. Houston waved goodbye to Bregman and Kyle Tucker. Texas is old and reliant on injury-prone players on both sides of the ball.

Four AL Central teams were in the mix for the playoffs last season – three eventually made it – but it’s hard to see a repeat of that. The Minnesota Twins are projected to be the best team in the division. We are wary of the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers repeating their 2024 performances.

American League Championship Odds

• New York Yankees +280
• Baltimore Orioles +600
• Houston Astros +850
• Boston Red Sox +1000
• Texas Rangers +1000
• Seattle Mariners +1000
• Detroit Tigers +1100
• Minnesota Twins +1100
• Cleveland Guardians +1400
• Kansas City Royals +1500
• Tampa Bay Rays +2200
• Toronto Blue Jays +2500
• Los Angeles Angels +6500
• Athletics +7000
• Chicago White Sox +20000

Odds provided by FanDuel

AL MVP

Reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge is the betting favorite for the award ahead of Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson, and Yordan Alvarez at FanDuel. Odds vary between sportsbooks, though Judge and Witt as the two favorites is commonplace across all reputable bookies.

The aforementioned quartet are in their own group, well ahead of the chasing pack, which is led by Corey Seager, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Mike Trout, and Jose Ramirez. 

Julio Rodriguez and Rafael Devers are both likely to get votes if they stay healthy all year, though Rodriguez needs a bounce-back offensive year, and Devers’ position is unclear after the Red Sox signed Bregman.

Royce Lewis, Adley Rutschman, and Brent Rooker are fun longshot options for bettors to weigh up. Lewis has excelled when healthy, Rutschman is an elite two-way player, and Rooker’s numbers could get a boost playing half his games in Sacramento.

AL MVP Odds

• Aaron Judge +300
• Bobby Witt Jr. +320
• Gunnar Henderson +700
• Corey Seager +1000
• Yordan Alvarez +1100
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. +1500
• Mike Trout +1800
• Jose Ramirez +2000
• Julio Rodriguez +2000
• Rafael Devers +2500
• Jarren Duran +4500
• Wyatt Langford +5000

Odds provided by FanDuel

AL Cy Young Candidates

After dominating throughout the 2024 season, Tarik Skubal leads the way for the AL Cy Young in 2025. Skubal was electric all year, finishing with a Triple Crown and 6.3 bWAR.

An innings limit – and conflict with the Chicago White Sox about his usage – ended Garrett Crochet’s Cy Young candidacy in 2024. Now a member of the Red Sox, Crochet is expected to be in the mix, though it remains to be seen if he can produce the volume to match Skubal. 

Corbin Burnes swapping the AL for the NL has opened this field up further. The American League is hardly blessed with an array of aces, so a down year from Skubal (or an injury) could lead to a surprise winner.

Cole Ragans and Logan Gilbert have Cy Young-winning upside if they put everything together. Veterans Jacob deGrom and Gerrit Cole have shown they can do it, but do they have enough left in the tank to stay healthy for a full season? 

Further afield, bettors might want to take a swing on the talent of Hunter Brown, Shane McClanahan, or Grayson Rodriguez.

AL Cy Young Odds

• Tarik Skubal +350
• Garrett Crochet +600
• Cole Ragans +1100
• Jacob deGrom +1100
• Logan Gilbert +1200
• Gerrit Cole +1200
• Hunter Brown +2000
• Framber Valdez +2000
• Max Fried +2000
• George Kirby +2200
• Pablo Lopez +2200
• Shane McClanahan +3000

Odds provided by FanDuel

AL Rookie of the Year

Much-hyped Yankees outfielder Jasson Domínguez is the favorite for AL Rookie of the Year. Injuries and opportunity have prevented The Martian from truly making his mark in the big leagues, but 2025 could be his year with a vacancy in the outfield following Soto’s departure. 

There are plenty of strong rivals to Domínguez, including two of the top five prospects in baseball in Roman Anthony and Jackson Jobe. Jobe got a very brief taste of the majors at the end of last season and has superb stuff which should be able to dominate MLB hitters. Anthony had a phenomenal season in the minors, climbing prospect lists in the process.

Bettors may also look at a teammate of Anthony’s, Kristian Campbell. The fourth-round pick in 2023 had a .997 OPS across three minor league levels last season and will undoubtedly be contributing to the Red Sox’s big-league team in 2025. 

AL ROY Odds

• Jasson Dominguez +300
• Kristian Campbell +500
• Jackson Jobe +600
• Roman Anthony +850
• Will Wagner +1100
• Coby Mayo +1500
• Jacob Wilson +1500
• Kumar Rocker +1600
• Jace Jung +1800

Odds provided by FanDuel

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MLB: National League 

The Dodgers are in a league of their own in the National League odds. No NL team has made it to consecutive World Series since the Dodgers did it themselves in 2017 and 2018. The 1970s was the last time a National League team won consecutive Fall Classics.

The Braves, Phillies, and Mets are considered the biggest threats to the Dodgers for the pennant. Behind them, the San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Chicago Cubs are grouped together before a bit of a gap to the rest of the field. 

San Diego and Arizona have the fundamental disadvantage of being in the same division as LA. They likely need to navigate the wild-card round, with the Dodgers expected to cruise to yet another NL West title. 

Chicago has the weakest division in the National League and has been active this offseason, including the blockbuster trade for Kyle Tucker. The Milwaukee Brewers lost a key player in Willy Adams, the Pittsburgh Pirates failed to bolster their offense, and the St. Louis Cardinals are taking a step back.

Keep an eye on the upside of the Cincinnati Reds under Terry Francona and follow Justin Verlander’s return to the NL with the San Francisco Giants. 

National League Odds

• Los Angeles Dodgers +140
• Atlanta Braves +500
• New York Mets +650
• Philadelphia Phillies +650
• San Diego Padres +1200
• Arizona Diamondbacks +1500
• Chicago Cubs +1500
• Milwaukee Brewers +2400
• Cincinnati Reds +3300
• San Francisco Giants +4500
• St. Louis Cardinals +5500
• Pittsburgh Pirates +7500
• Washington Nationals +9000
• Miami Marlins +15000
• Colorado Rockies +20000

Odds provided by FanDuel

NL MVP

Just as in the AL, defending MVP Shohei Ohtani is the betting favorite in the National League. Ohtani has by far the shortest price ahead of Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Kyle Tucker. 

Those three – two of which arrived in the NL this offseason – are comfortably ahead of Mookie Betts, Bryce Harper, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Francisco Lindor. Acuna has the highest upside of this group, but there’s uncertainty after another ACL injury in 2024. Lindor is coming off a monster year, while it’s fair to question if Betts and Harper are beginning to decline as they enter their age-32 seasons.

The next generation of stars perhaps represents the greatest value in this market. Jackson Merrill, Jackson Chourio, Corbin Carroll, James Wood, and Oneil Cruz all have the potential to have vote-earning seasons. Elly de la Cruz is bound to get plenty of support from bettors with his highlight-generating playstyle and ability to put up massive power and base-stealing numbers. 

NL MVP Odds

• Shohei Ohtani +145
• Juan Soto +550
• Fernando Tatis Jr. +800
• Mookie Betts +1300
• Bryce Harper +1700
• Kyle Tucker +1700
• Francisco Lindor +2200
• Elly De La Cruz +3000
• Freddie Freeman +3300
• Ronald Acuna Jr. +3300
• Ketel Marte +3500
• Matt Olson +4000

Odds provided by FanDuel

NL Cy Young Candidates

This is the only of the four major awards where last year’s winner isn’t the current favorite. Paul Skenes is backed as the frontrunner for the National League Cy Young across the sportsbooks following his scintillating rookie season with 5.9 bWAR and a 1.96 ERA over 133 innings.

After an unexpected Cy Young-winning year in 2024, Chris Sale was unable to pitch in the playoffs. Sale is unlikely to be much of a contender for the award this time around.

Zack Wheeler will be in the mix again, as he has been for several years. Wheeler combines durability with elite production but has been unlucky to be narrowly outperformed on a few occasions.

Workhorses Burnes and Logan Webb have a chance if their ERA is below three, given that both are likely to cross the 200-inning threshold. Hunter Greene and Dylan Cease headline a group a high-stuff pitchers who could dominate over 30+ starts. 

NL Cy Young Odds

• Paul Skenes +200
• Zack Wheeler +700
• Blake Snell +850
• Chris Sale +1300
• Corbin Burnes +1400
• Yoshinobu Yamamoto +1800
• Michael King +2300
• Dylan Cease +2500
• Zac Gallen +2500
• Tyler Glasnow +3000
• Logan Webb +3000
• Spencer Strider +3000

Odds provided by FanDuel

NL Rookie of the Year

Following a prolonged, high-profile free agency, Roki Sasaki is the man to beat for the NL Rookie of the Year. Sasaki is part of a six-man rotation on the Dodgers, so he might not pitch the innings to win this award if there are some other strong candidates.

Dylan Crews and Matt Shaw look set to be Sasaki’s closest rivals. Shaw is going to get the opportunity to put up big numbers in Chicago, and the same goes for Crews in Washington.

Bubba Chandler is a name to watch here, given how his stuff should perform in the majors. 

NL ROY Odds

• Roki Sasaki +200
• Dylan Crews +350
• Matt Shaw +400
• Bubba Chandler +850
• Jordan Lawlar +1100
• Tirso Ornelas +2000
• Hyeseong Kim +2500
• Thomas Saggese +2500
• Rhett Lowder +3000

Odds provided by FanDuel

How to bet on MLB?

Bettors have lots of options when they are considering how to bet on MLB. You can stick to the moneyline and over/under, you can pick your favorite run line wagers, or dive deeper with player and team props.  Of course, there’s also the option to survey outright markets. The best MLB betting sites will provide a catalog of futures betting options throughout the season, including division winners, World Series winners, MVP, Cy Young, and more. 

It’s important you conduct sufficient research before you commit to betting on MLB. Get a full understanding of the markets available, and compare odds across different sportsbooks. We would also recommend looking at some MLB tips from betting experts to inform your decisions. 

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MLB Betting Tips for Beginner Bettors

Below, we have compiled five pieces of advice to bear in mind when making your MLB picks. Stick to these and you will enhance your chances of hitting a home run with your MLB wagers.

• Compare starting pitching matchups
• Consider form of both teams
• Analyse detailed statistics
• Situational spots and team news
• Compare odds across bookmakers

Let’s take a look at each point in more detail:

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Tip 1: Compare starting MLB pitching matchup

Even with starters pitching fewer innings and many teams utilizing openers, the starting pitching matchup is still a major factor when making your MLB betting decisions. The quality of the two starting pitchers will go a long way to determining which team is favored.

A dominant starter can pitch six-plus innings, and will occasionally hand straight over to the closer. If they’re pounding the zone and racking up the strikeouts, the other team is going to struggle to generate much offense.

Sites like Baseball Reference and Baseball Savant are packed with starting pitcher statistics. You can see how a pitcher has fared against a particular opponent, and look into their last few outings. Savant’s advanced metrics are especially useful for those who want a bit more depth than looking at a starter’s season-long ERA.

Tip 2: Consider the form of both MLB teams

Just as in other sports, it’s important to look at the recent performances from both teams. Previous successes don’t guarantee a team will be victorious in the game you’re wagering on, but it’s something to consider when analyzing the betting markets.

Form isn’t everything when making your picks. It should be part of your pre-bet process, though.

Baseball is notorious for hot streaks and massive slumps both for players and whole teams. If a player has been scorching hot at the plate lately, that’s something you need to know. If a team have been slumping on the road, that might put you off backing them even as favorites.

Tip 3: Analyse detailed statistics

Baseball is renowned for its love of statistics. Numbers are a fundamental part of baseball conversation, and they are a huge component for bettors, fans and teams.

Fortunately, the vast majority of baseball statistics are publicly available. Most are accessible free of charge, too. The use of analytics has changed the direction of travel in baseball, so it’s paramount that you use them to your advantage.

Think of the statistics that could help find a value betting angle. If a team is facing a hard-throwing starting pitcher, you could look at how they have fared against high-velocity arms. Alternatively, if a team is excellent at drawing walks, it’s worth looking at the command of the opposing starter.

There are so many ways to analyze betting with the help of advanced statistics. You can look into park factors, quality of contact, defense and so much more. Familiarize yourself with the big statistics sites to make sure you are armed with all the resources you need.

Tip 4: Situational spots and team news

Baseball’s schedule is unique, partly because it’s so demanding. Rest days are infrequent for teams during the 162-game regular season. On occasion, they will be forced to play doubleheaders. Long road trips can take their toll on teams.

Look into how teams have got on when they have a rest advantage. See what their recent schedule has been like – could fatigue be a deciding factor? Is it a travel day? Did they just fly across the country?

The MLB season really is a marathon. The schedule is arduous, providing another factor for bettors to consider throughout the campaign. Once the Playoffs come around, the use of pitchers (particularly aces and star relievers) is something to keep an eye on, as starters can end up pitching on short rest.

Like any sport, it’s worth keeping up to date with team news. You want to know if a key hitter is having a day off or if the closer is returning from the injured list. You must study this point before all baseball picks you make

Tip 5: Compare odds across sportsbooks

You should always compare odds across different sportsbooks before committing to your bet(s). This can be the difference between making a profit and losing money. Odds comparison sites make this easy for you – you always want the best possible odds, and the minor hassle of comparing prices is definitely worth it in the long term.

It makes sense to register at multiple sportsbooks with funds in your account so you can quickly place your wager(s) wherever the prices are best. You will also then be able to benefit from multiple sign-up offers and other promotions.

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What Not to Do for Your MLB Picks

Just as we have outlined some things you should do when making MLB picks, there are also things you should avoid doing if you want to be a profitable baseball bettor.

Avoid making these mistakes:

• Chasing losses (betting more units than usual to try and make up for lost wagers)
• Failing to manage your bankroll (have a fixed unit amount)
• Placing bets without comparing odds
• Betting on a team or player based on reputation rather than conducting research
• Only judging the performance of a team on their results rather than more predictive metrics
• Failing to understand betting odds and the implied probability of the market you are wagering on
• Blindly backing your favorite team/player
• Betting on a market without understanding recent betting trends

Both rookie and seasoned bettors have fallen into a few of these errors. Mistakes are going to happen in baseball betting, but if you steer clear of the slipups listed above, you will significantly increase your chances of earning a profit.

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MLB Picks: Statistics You Need to Know

Statistics play a key role in sports and competitions, which is why here we present some of the most interesting ones along with other data from the 2024 MLB season for a possible comparison with everything that will happen in 2025:

Regarding the American League 2024:

• The team with the most wins in the regular season was the New York Yankees with 94 wins.
• The White Sox had the fewest wins, with only 41 victories.
• The best offense by far were the Yankees, scoring 815 runs.
• The Seattle Mariners allowed only 607 runs throughout the 2024 regular season.

Regarding the National League 2024:

• The Los Angeles Dodgers had the most wins, with 98 victories in the regular season.
• The Colorado Rockies, on the other hand, had the fewest wins, with only 61.
• The Arizona Diamondbacks had the best offense in the regular season with 886 runs.
• The Rockies also had the worst defense in the regular season, allowing a total of 929 runs.

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Conclusion: How to Get Your MLB Picks Right Today?

When settling on your MLB picks, make sure you have followed all the advice throughout this article. You want to consider pitching matchups, betting trends and compare odds before committing to your wagers. Research statistics both traditional and advanced.

If you’re short on time or just want to be pointed in the right direction, head over to our MLB page to learn more about our MLB tips.

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MLB: Best Odds

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