Following one week of MLB Playoff action, the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres were eliminated in the National League Wild Card Series. In the American League, the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Guardians were sent packing.
The Chicago Cubs eliminated the Padres, but wore down their pitching staff in the process. Thus, it was no surprise that the Milwaukee Brewers, who earned a wild card bye as National League Central Division champions, bombed the Cubs away in Game 1 of their National League Divisional Series. In Game 2 at Milwaukee, the Brewers prevailed 7-3 to take a commanding 2-0 series baseball betting odds lead. Now, the series shifts to Wrigley Field in Chicago for Games 3 and 4, if necessary.
2025 MLB World Series Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +175 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +350 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +450 |
| Seattle Mariners | +650 |
| Detroit Tigers | +900 |
| New York Yankees | +1300 |
| Chicago Cubs | +1600 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +2200 |
Brewers Do it Their Way
Despite having the best record in baseball and home-field advantage throughout the 2025 MLB Playoffs, the Brewers have not won over a majority of the Online wagering public. Still, casual gamblers believe that the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers are the teams to beat for the World Series championship.
Milwaukee plays a “smaller” brand of baseball that emphasizes fundamentals, aggression on the base paths, good fielding, and a strong bullpen. Due to Milwaukee’s lack of a marquee man slugger, casual gamblers often overlook it in favor of the megamarket teams. As a result, this is one of the reasons Milwaukee was the most profitable team on the board in 2025. In comparison, the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees were in the red, despite having big-name talent.
The Cubs are an interesting team that closed the regular season stretch in good shape. But Chicago must recover from having to go to the bullpen too often against the Padres. Thus, the Cubs will need strong starting pitching and run production. One factor that could help Chicago is that when they play Game 3 on Wednesday, they will have been idle for two of the previous three days after their Game 1 loss. The pitching staff could feel rejuvenated with that time off.
Dodgers Flex the Phillies
The Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Cincinnati Reds in their NLWC Series, which gave them confidence and time to rest for their NLDS series with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers captured home-field advantage with a Game 1 win at Philadelphia.
Following that win in Game 2, the Dodgers held off a furious Phillies rally to win 4-3 and take a 2-0 lead in the series. Now the Phillies and Dodgers head to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4, if necessary.
The Dodgers did not show good betting value in the regular season and finished deep into the red. The bullpen problems that Los Angeles experienced have persisted into the postseason. However, the Phillies also suffered from an inconsistent bullpen in 2025, which might even that factor out.
Tigers and Mariners Tied Up in Detroit
The Detroit Tigers rallied to beat the Cleveland Guardians in their ALWC Series before heading to Seattle to take on the Mariners in the ALDS. Seattle earned a wild card bye as American League West Division champions. In turn, the Mariners and Tigers split Games 1 and 2 at Seattle and now head to Detroit for Games 3 and 4.
The Tigers made the playoffs last year. Subsequently, that experience was considered a potential asset against a Seattle team that is making a rare playoff appearance. Offsetting that is the Mariners’ strong finish, which allowed them to take the American League West and end the Houston Astros’ dynasty.
Yankees on the Brink Against Blue Jays
New York rallied to win the final two games of their ALWCS Series to eliminate the Boston Red Sox. However, the New York Yankees and their pitching staff were shelled in losses at Toronto in Games 1 and 2 of their ALDS.
New York opened as one of the favorites to win the American League pennant. But the Yankees are being exposed for their lack of quality pitching, especially in the bullpen. The Yankees have had to rely on trying to outscore their opponents. Of great concern is that it is not a good recipe for playoff success against teams that have pitching.
Now the Yankees face extinction at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night. Should New York prevail in Game 3, they get a Game 4 date at home against the Blue Jays and a shot at forcing a deciding Game 5 at Toronto.
Gamblers ignored the Blue Jays in 2025, and Toronto gave bargain hunters a nice return on their investments. The Blue Jays have a powerful lineup that keeps them in every game. But the question remains if the Blue Jays have enough pitching to reach the pennant. However, against the Yankees, those concerns have been neutralized.