Betting on baseball is always fun, but betting on the MLB playoffs takes the excitement to a whole new level. The action intensifies throughout the MLB postseason, coming to a crescendo with the World Series.
In this guide to betting on MLB playoffs, we explain the postseason format, highlight the popular MLB playoffs betting markets and share lots of useful tips along the way.
MLB Playoff Format Explained
The MLB postseason involves 12 teams, with six teams from each league – the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) – featuring in the playoffs. The three division winners in each league qualify for the postseason, in addition to three wild card teams.
The six teams in each league are seeded as follows:
- Best league record (#1 seed)
- Second-best division winner (#2 seed)
- Third-best division winner (#3 seed)
- Best record among wild card teams (#4 seed)
- Second-best wild card team (#5 seed)
- Third-best wild card team(#6 seed)
The No. 1 seed and the No. 2 seed are given first-round byes, advancing directly to the Division Series. In the Wild Card Series, the No. 3 seed faces the No. 6 seed, while the No 4. seed takes on the No. 5 seed.
Following these games, there are two best-of-five Division Series and two best-of-seven
Championship Series. The winners of the AL Championship Series and the NL Championship Series then contest the best-of-seven World Series.
The current MLB postseason system comprises 32 to 53 games, giving baseball bettors plenty of opportunities to win money. Below, we go over the most popular MLB playoffs betting markets.
The Cardinals have been eliminated from playoff contention pic.twitter.com/jZ0rYaH8aS
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 20, 2023
Popular MLB Playoffs Betting Markets
From moneylines and totals to props and futures, there are lots of exciting MLB playoff betting markets to take advantage of. Let’s take a closer look at the most popular options when it comes to betting on the MLB playoffs.
World Series Futures
Betting on the winner of the World Series is undoubtedly one of the most popular options for baseball bettors and it is also one of the simplest markets. All you need to do is pick a team and back them to lift the trophy.
Pennant Futures
Each season, the winner of the National League and the winner of the American League are awarded a pennant. Bettors can wager on which teams they think will win each league championship.
Betting on Individual Games
You can also bet on individual games, with multiple markets available for each contest. The moneyline enables you to wager on the winner of a game, while the run line, totals, props and other markets give you different options.
MLB Playoffs Series Betting
Not only can you bet on individual games, but you can also bet on a playoff series. This market gives you the chance to predict which team will win a specific series within the postseason. There will also be MLB playoffs series props available at most baseball betting sites.
