MLB Futures

Why Bet on MLB Futures?

Seeking that big payout? Futures bets are a good place to get them when it comes to MLB betting. While you can double your money with a standard game bet, picking correctly on the futures market can exponentially increase the bankroll. The New York Yankees may be a favorite to win the World Series, but even so they’ll bring you a payout four times what you put into it.

Taking other contenders can pay off even more handsomely. Feeling the Cleveland Indians as an American League darkhorse? You’ll make a lot of dough if they are and you backed them.

MLB futures can be appealing to novice and pro sports bettors alike, and they’re engaging to follow from season to season. If you back Jacob deGrom or Tyler Glasnow to win the Cy Young Award next year, or if you feel Mookie Betts is a National League MVP contender for the Los Angeles Dodgers, book those bets now at your favorite online sports betting sites and follow all year.

Win totals are another popular way to take advantage of the MLB future odds, accurately projecting the Over/Under on a team’s total regular-season wins. That allows you to bet on teams that may not be title contenders but should fare better than oddsmakers believe. Teams such as the Toronto Blue Jays, stuck in a division with the Yankees and Boston Red Sox but capable of winning some games.

These MLB odds are available during the season, too, and change based on how things progress. So, picking a team or player at the right time can pay dividends.

What Impacts MLB Futures Odds?

As the offseason goes on, trades and free-agent signings have an impact on MLB teams and their futures odds. But sometimes not as much as you would think. Oddsmakers know which teams are expected to be active in upgrading their rosters before they actually do it, and opening prices often are set accordingly.

Still, MLB odds will shift when the hot stove fires up because bets will come in on teams making active upgrades. So it’s best to be quick on the draw with MLB futures bets when moves are reported. For instance, after an offseason in which they acquired Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from Cleveland, the New York Mets saw their 2021 World Series odds fall from +2500 to +1000.

Injuries to key players can move the needle more than winning or losing streaks during the long MLB season. If Giancarlo Stanton misses a considerable amount of time again for New York, the Yankees’ MLB future odds may rise when it comes to World Series, pennant and division chances.

Throughout the year, there are bargains on MLB futures odds. The trick is in finding them and timing them just right, with the odds shifting due to injuries, trades and teams’ general levels of play. The other trick is actually getting them correct. Nothing is more frustrating than backing a longshot on the World Series line, seeing them win their division and pennant, then not be able to cash in because they lose in the Fall Classic.

The trade deadline at the end of July is a particularly important time to watch the odds, seeking potential bargains if championship contenders are waiting until the last minute to make that last big addition for the stretch run. The odds aren’t going to be as enticing on those lesser lines, but they might be the best way to grab a winner.

RELATED: Get free expert MLB picks every day of the season, including throughout the MLB postseason

Futures Bets for the MLB Season

The list of different MLB futures bets to back is long. Of course, it starts with World Series odds, and from there to National League and American League odds. Division futures are growing in popularity. There are those who like the Washington Nationals over the Atlanta Braves – or vice versa – in the NL East, but not for the NL pennant. Or maybe it’s the Chicago White Sox to take the AL Central over the Minnesota Twins but not to win the AL pennant.

Individual awards are also available as futures and can be beneficial to those who believe in one player but not an entire team.

Most Valuable Player: MLB is unique in that it awards two MVPs for a season, one in each league. That cuts the contenders in half per award.

Cy Young Award: The top pitcher in the NL and AL are awarded the honor named for the 511-game winner. Winning games helps the resume but isn’t a necessity – Jacob deGrom won the 2018 and 2019 NL CY Young awards with records of 10-9 and 11-8, respectively.

Most Home Runs: Chicks dig the long ball, and you’ll love this one if you can nail it. The odds for favorites are often several times higher than the MVP and Cy Young due to its challenge and all-of-MLB status.

When Can I Bet on MLB Futures?

Hours after one World Series ends, MLB future odds are posted for the following season and those odds continue tp be updated until the next World Series trophy is hoisted. Futures odds can be bet all offseason, through spring training, at any point during the regular season and throughout the postseason. Odds change based on how the season progresses, so picking a player or team at the right time can be lucrative. You can pop the odds into our betting calculator along with your intended stake and see your potential payout.

Betting Win Totals

Picking the Over/Under on a team’s season win total is a good way to back clubs that may not be World Series contenders but could surprise or disappoint compared to the oddsmaker’s number. These lines are open until the season starts and offer a chance for bettors who might not be so sure about a team finishing in first place, but do see a team capable of overachieving – or underachieving. So, if you are a Kansas City Royals fan and see them winning more than 80 games, you can bet on it and not worry about where they finish.

Betting Strategies for MLB Futures

Every team goes through highs and lows in a grueling MLB regular season, but those playing the best in fall are the ones who claim championships. While we’re in the age of the super team in the NBA, baseball presents opportunities to back a darkhorse and have it pay off huge. If you hold a ticket for a playoff team with solid pitching, you have a shot. In 2020, even with the best record in the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays were at +750 to win the World Series and +330 to take the AL title. They wound up winning the pennant before losing to the Dodgers in the Fall Classic.

Also, be sure to shop around. Visiting multiple sportsbooks can really pay off for MLB futures. Sites can dramatically vary in terms of World Series and player awards futures. The more you visit, the more likely you’ll find a real value.

High odds allow you to bet multiple teams and still win big. Don’t be afraid to spread the wealth.

When it comes to MVP, you can rule out pitchers, who have won two league MVP awards since 1993. In fact, you can practically rule out most positions. Over the last seven years, 12 of the 14 winners have been outfielders or third basemen. Stick with those positions and your odds to win improve.

Repeat winners not named Mike Trout don’t happen much, either. The last 12 NL MVPs have been won by 12 different players. Trout has won three of the last seven AL MVPs.

The HR champion has belted at least 47 homers in each of the past five full seasons (not counting the coronavirus-shortened 2020 campaign) and only twice in the last 12 years has the winner been left-handed.