MLB National League Odds And Season Wins



FairwayJay chips in MLB National League Odds and Season Win Totals as the 2024 season begins.

Batter up for the 2024 Major League Baseball season! Two rainouts in Philadelphia and New York have postponend a pair of National League games until Friday. But 26 of the 30 teams will start the MLB season on Thursday, March 28 with the Los Angeles Dodgers an overwhelming favorite to win the NL East (-563) and capture the NL Pennant (+141). The Dodgers are also less than 3/1, or +289 at Bookmaker sportsbook to win the 2024 World Series. The Atlanta Braves (+591) are the second favorite to win the World Series just less than 6/1 odds as the season begins. 

I've posted American League odds at OSGA for Divisions, AL Pennant, World Series and Season Win Totals as well. The New York Yankees are the AL favorites and the only other team less than 10/1 to win the 2024 World Series with Bookmaker posting NYY at +930. 

According to Sports Odds History, six teams entered the 2023 season under +1000, or less than 10/1 to win the World Series. None were below 6/1 like two teams this season, and three of them didn't even make the playoffs - Yankees, Mets and Padres. The Rangers were near 50/1 to win the World Series at the start of the season, and Texas won the World Series over huge longshot Arizona Diamondbacks, who were near 125/1 to start the season. 

The start of the season is always met with high hopes for teams and plenty of projections from the pundits. But before you place any more Pennant and World Series futures bets, understand there is little or no value on those offerings to the bettors. The online sportsbooks have a huge hold and house edge on World Series and Pennant bets, so get in their pocket by taking advantage of the cash bonuses. You'll have the opportunity to bet futures throughout the season on adjusted odds, and that includes Season Win Totals.

Recall last year when the National League-leading Atlanta Braves (104 wins) were the best team in baseball during the regular season followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers (100 wins). Those two teams lost their opening playoff series. The year prior in 2022, preseason World Series favorite LA Dodgers won a remarkable 111 games to lead the Majors, only to lose their opening round playoff series as a heavy favorite. The Braves (101 wins) won the AL East over the New York Mets (101), and both those teams lost their opening playoff series in 2022 as well. 

While most people don't have the time, energy or ability to consistently follow the teams, players, pitchers and how to use the stats to isoloate more winners, betting on baseball on individual daily games is still a better way to wager than preseason futures bets. Betting baseball on a daily basis requires plenty of handicapping and stat studying and understanding of more advanced stats and analytics, especially for pitchers. It's worth sticking to betting games, finding value on moneylines (fewer big favorites), totals, situations and some periodic props. Focus less on futures unless you take a swing at Season Win Totals. But again, injuries can have an unexpected impact and betting daily games offers a better opportunity to cash in for a payout

Dimeline and Adjusted Odds

Know too that the dimeline, known as a ten cent line, is not offered at every sportsbook. Check your sportsbook's odds before betting on MLB baseball, and recognize you can save hundreds or thousands of dollars over the course of a MLB season betting with a sportsbook that offers a dimeline. Check out leading online sportsbooks like BetOnline,Sportsbetting.ag, BetNow and reduced juice sportsbook Bet Any Sports for dimelines, and select sportsbooks like BetUS for dimelines up to -130 on favorites. 

As the 2024 MLB season begins, follow along and compare the National League futures odds below to the adjusted odds throughout the season. You can find edges and better opportunities to bet and cash-in later with more value, and take a better swing as you evaluate teams schedules, injuries and daily updates from beat reporters.

An example of teams cashing in and winning at longer adjusted odds during the season include the 2021 World Series winners Atlanta Braves, who were around +5000, or 50/1 at the start of August and +1300 by September. VSiN data noted that the Braves went 18-8 in August with a really favorable 15-game stretch against Washington, Cincinnati, Washington, Miami, and Baltimore. They were 52-55 entering the month and by the time they reached August 22, the Braves were 68-57 and went from 5 games back in the division to 4.5 games up. Again, note scheduling, injuries and find better opportunities and value bets as the season moves along. 

The 2019 Washington Nationals were in the +6000 range in June of their World Series winning season and their price going into the Divisional Round of +1350 wasn’t that far off of the preseason +1600.

As confusion reigns over the Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal, don't get caught up in the 'futures', but rather follow the money and make better decisions. The Dodgers surprisingly have just the 9th highest payroll at $209 million entering the 2024 season as Ohtani is only taking $2 million per season and deferring much of his massive $700 million contract until the end of the 10 years from now. Taking out injured reserve and retained salaries, the Dodgers 26-man payroll is $177 million for the 2024 season which ranks behind the Yankees ($220M), Phillies ($215M), Mets ($109M), Blue Jays ($200M), Braves ($195M) and Astros ($182M). The Cubs are at $173 million before a drop to the World Series champion Texas Rangers at $142 million with the ninth highest payroll entering the 2024 season.    

National League Odds 2024

So here are each National League teams Season Win Totals from BetOnline, along with Division Odds, AL Pennant and World Series Odds from Bookmaker, broken down by divisions. 

Team Season Wins Division Odds National League Odds World Series Odds
NL East
Atlanta Braves 101.5 +289 +291 +593
Philadelphia Phillies 89.5 +337 +803 +1501
New York Mets 80.5 +1069 +2685 +5325
Miami Marlins 77.5 +1781 +5518 +10048
Washington Nationals 66.5 +9748 +13210 +24247
NL Central
St. Louis Cardinals 84.5 +197 +2018 +3969
Chicago Cubs 84.5 +199 +1705 +3316
Cincinnati Reds 81.5 +307 +1850 +4019
Milwaukee Brewers 77.5 +792 +5668 +11654
Pittsburgh Pirates 75.5 +996 +6722 +13063
NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers 103.5 -563 +141 +289
Arizona Diamondbacks 84.5 +897 +2107 +4017
San Diego Padres 83.5 +1113 +1956 +3868
San Francisco Giants 83.5 +1129 +1709 +3297
Colorado Rockies 58.5 +14037 +26592 +45685

Follow along and compare the futures and season win totals as the leading online sportsbooks adjust the odds throughout the 2024 MLB season. 

FairwayJay is recognized as a leading sports betting analyst providing insights and information you can bet on here at OSGAFollow him on X (Twitter) @FairwayJay for more sports betting news and insights.


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