The first major sports championship betting opportunity is here for Arizonans.
The World Series gets underway on Tuesday as the American League champion Houston Astros take on the National League-winning Atlanta Braves.
Both teams are coming into the series after facing some adversity and neither was favored to make it to the World Series when the postseason started. But here we are.
The first time these two clubs have met in the Fall Classic. The sixth time that teams from the NL East and AL West have squared off for the Commissioner’s Trophy. A chance for Houston to redeem itself after losing in the World Series two years ago — to another NL East franchise.
World Series betting odds in Arizona
As always, this Fall Classic will be a best-of-seven showdown. When it comes to World Series betting odds, as expected, betting apps in Arizona list the Astros as the betting favorites ().
Houston has been operating with a “championship or bust” mentality for the last five years, resulting in two World Series appearances (winning in 2018) and two other trips to the ALCS. This season, the Astros knocked off the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox to advance to the World Series.
On the other side, the Atlanta Braves (), are in the World Series for the first time since 1999. The club posted the fifth-best record in the NL but earned the No. 3 seed based on its division title. Atlanta went into the divisional round as an underdog against the Milwaukee Brewers as well as in the NLCS versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Once again, at least in terms of betting odds, the Braves play the role of David in the World Series, looking to do what they did this entire postseason: Shock the world.
Although the Astros are the favorites and will have home-field advantage, oddsmakers expect this series to be competitive. The odds that there will be at least six games played in the series sit at -180. Meanwhile, the odds of either team completing a four-game sweep is at +600.
Best bets for World Series MVP
Predicting who will be named World Series MVP can be difficult. The award doesn’t always go to the best player. Often it goes to the player that gets hot at the right time.
Houston has three players hovering around the top five in World Series MVP odds on most Arizona sportsbooks. On the top of the list is the ALCS MVP Yordan Álvarez (+850). The Astros’ DH might be swinging the hottest bat in all of baseball right now. He hit for a record-setting .522 batting average in the ALCS, recording three doubles, a triple, a home run and six RBIs. Former AL MVP José Altuve (+1000) is also among the contenders, along with teammate Carlos Correa (+1100).
For Atlanta, first baseman Freddie Freeman (+850) is the team’s favorite to win the award. Last year’s NL MVP leads the Braves in home runs this postseason. However, NLCS MVP Eddie Rosario (+1200) is right behind him and is swinging a hot bat of his own. He had two hits, including a 3-run home run, as the Braves won Game 6 and clinched the NL pennant.
One thing you can count on is that the MVP will likely be on the team that wins the series. Only one time in history was the World Series MVP gone to a player on the losing team. That was New York Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson back in 1960.
| Sportsbook | World Series winner | Top World Series MVP odds |
|---|---|---|
| BetMGM Arizona | Houston -145 Atlanta +120 | José Altuve +900 Michael Brantley +1000 Yordan Álvarez +1000 Alex Bregman +1100 Freddie Freeman +1100 |
| DraftKings Arizona | Houston -155 Atlanta +130 | Yordan Álvarez +850 Freddie Freeman +850 José Altuve +1000 Carlos Correa +1100 Eddie Rosario +1200 |
| FanDuel Arizona | Houston -150 Atlanta +125 | José Altuve +1000 Michael Brantley +1000 Alex Bregman +1000 Yordan Álvarez +1000 Freddie Freeman +1100 |
Other bets Arizonans can make on World Series
The World Series is the perfect spot for bettors who are interested in prop bets as well. Arizona betting sites allow users to place wagers on several different outcomes within the series as well as in the individual games.
For example, you can bet on which player will record the most hits in the series. You can also place an over/under wager on how many home runs a particular player will hit.
Another interesting way to bet is on player matchups. A common matchup bettors may look toward is between pitchers. In Game 1 of the World Series, Houston’s Framber Valdez will go up against Atlanta’s Charlie Morton. You can bet on which pitcher will allow fewer hits, home runs and/or walks. There are also player matchups for the position players and odds on a variety of categories like who will record the most hits in the game.
You can also place a wager on the exact outcome of the series. For example, on DraftKings Sportsbook AZ, you can get +400 odds on the Astros winning the series in seven games (4-3). At the same time, you will see +600 odds on the Braves to win the series in six or seven games.
As each game approaches, Arizonans should keep their eye on odds boosts and specials on each of the sportsbook apps. For instance, Caesars Arizona is boosting the odds of the Braves to win the series in six games or less to +250. Meanwhile, BetMGM AZ is offering +100 odds on the Braves leading after the fifth inning.
No doubt, sportsbooks will continue to whip out new boosts closer to the start of each game.
