MLB World Series Odds: Braves Lead the Pack Ahead of the Postseason

The MLB regular season has come to an end with the postseason finally ready to kick off on Tuesday.

16 teams head into October vying to walk out with the most important prize in the sport -- the World Series trophy.

Ahead of the postseason, let's take a look at the World Series odds for all 16 teams per FanDuel Sportsbook.

World Series Odds

Atlanta Braves

FanDuel Sportsbook: +260

The Atlanta Braves have been the favorites for the majority of the season; that isn't changing now that we've arrived to the postseason.

Led by likely NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr., the Braves have been powered by their offense that ranks at the top of the league.

Atlanta led the league in wOBA (.359), slugging (.501), ISO (.225), wRC+ (125), runs (947), and home runs (307). Not only did they lead in these categories, but they dominated. The Braves had seven players with 20-plus dingers, five of which had over 30, and three had over 40 total. It was a historic offensive season for the Braves. They'll lean on Acuna, Matt Olson, and the rest of their lineup to drive them as their only concern comes on the mound.

Scoring so many runs has its advantages -- the main being they can make up for pitching. The Braves ranked eighth in SIERA at a 4.03 clip, which is strong. However, September saw them take a bit of a hit as they had a 4.31 SIERA, ranking 19th. Their ERA in the final month was the third-highest in MLB (5.61). This is clearly a number that needs to be fixed and fast.

The offense will do most of the talking for the Braves. As long as the pitching can mirror the season numbers more than the September, they should be able to make the run that they've been expected to make all season.

Los Angeles Dodgers

FanDuel Sportsbook: +430

While the Braves may have been seen as the best team in baseball for much of the year, the Los Angeles Dodgers yet again showed they are top contenders.

Los Angeles followed the Braves in nearly every major offensive category including wOBA, home runs, and runs scored. What the Dodgers have going for them is that many of their top players have the playoff and -- most importantly -- World Series experience. Mookie Betts had a sensational season, leading the Dodgers alongside Freddie Freeman. The Dodgers will lean on them offensively but look to old reliable in Clayton Kershaw to lead their pitching staff.

The Dodgers ranked 10th with a 4.07 SIERA, 13th with a 4.06 ERA, and 15th in both FIP (4.23) and strikeout rate (23.1%). They're in the middle of the pack as a team heading into the postseason, so they'll need their rotation -- and especially the bullpen -- to step up as any playoff team often does in October.

Los Angeles' bullpen has been one of the best in baseball. Their 3.42 ERA is the 3rd-best and the 3.70 SIERA ranks 4th. If they can lean on these arms and the offense brings what they have all season, they have as good of a shot as Atlanta to take the National League and win the Fall Classic.

Houston Astros

FanDuel Sportsbook: +500

The defending World Series champions managed to win the AL West on the final day of the season and, now, will look to turn that into another run.

The Houston Astros have been in four of the last six World Series, winning two of them in that same period. In all six seasons, they've made it to the ALCS. It's hard to deny them as the favorites from the American League because of their unquestioned success -- even if they enter this year's postseason in a different spot than usual.

Not including the 60-game pandemic-shortened season, this is the worst record they've had heading into the playoffs in the six-year span. Maybe the most shocking result of their season was going 39-42 at home -- something that'll need to change in the playoffs.

Houston had a top-10 offense powered by Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, and Yordan Alvarez. Their wOBA, home runs, runs, ISO, and wRC+ all rank in the top 10. Even for a team that had woes throughout, they're a team where the playoff experience kicks in and they'll make the big plays when needed.

The Astros have the pitching after bringing back Justin Verlander to join the core of the pitching staff that got the job done a year ago. Their 4.16 SIERA has them around the middle of the league, but a 3.94 ERA is a top-10 mark. They've outperformed expectations, and based on history, they probably do again in the postseason.

There are plenty of exciting new teams in the AL but until someone stops the reigning World Series champions, they may still be the best bets of any team in baseball. Their track record speaks for itself on this one.

Looking for more MLB betting opportunities? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook to check out all of the MLB odds.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.