Insights and advice for betting MLB in September

The push to the pennant and MLB postseason is on. The division races have tightened following July and August baseball in the American League and National League with the NL West and AL East and West still up for grabs. So have the Wild Card races with many key series in September to decide the AL and NL playoff series. 

Last year the Los Angeles Dodgers had a MLB-high 82 wins and the best record in baseball at 82-54 with less than 30 games remaining in the regular season. The Dodgers went on to win the World Series over the New York Yankees, who had 79 wins at the time with the best record in the American League. The Dodgers have the highest total payroll in baseball at nearly $350 million this season, and the top-8 teams in highest active payroll (26 players) are all going to the playoffs. 

That does not include the Milwaukee Brewers (85-62), who have the best record in baseball into September and a 6.5 game lead in the NL Central over the Chicago Cubs, who will also be going to the playoffs. The Brewers have an active payroll of $66.8 million (#20 in MLB), the lowest of any team making the 2025 playoffs, and compared to the Dodgers ($266M), Mets ($280M), and Phillies ($230). Recall Milwaukee held a 10-game lead in the NL Central last season into September. 

The Detroit Tigers (79-58) have the best record in the American League this season and on their way to the playoffs as division champs with the 7th highest active payroll ($109M) in the American League. The Toronto Blue Jays (78-58) lead the AL East by 2 games over the Yankees and 3.5 ahead of the Boston Red Sox. 

While college football is completing Week 1 of the 2025 season and the NFL kicks off this week, leading online sportsbooks are reporting plenty of action on MLB and popular player props with BetOnline noting that sharp bettors continue to take advantage of dimelines offered along with promotions and props. 

The Milwaukee Brewers have won the most games in August (21) thanks to a 14-game winning streak to start the month. The Brewers go for the 3-game road sweep over the Blue Jays Aug. 31. The Phillies (18), Diamondbacks (17), Red Sox (16), Yankees (16), Padres (16), and Royals (16) are next with Kansas City and Texas trailing Seattle by 2-2.5 games for the third and final playoff spot in the American League.

Check out select sportsbooks most September win odds, key September series and games with information you can bet on. I bet the Mariners and Padres before the odds dropped with San Diego taking more money. 

Bet on MLB baseball at one of these Elite-rated sportsbooks!

Standings, Records And Key MLB Series And Odds In September 

Adjusted futures odds are added to compare, and understand in the most wins market that number of games for each teams vary in the month. The tiebreaker for most wins is fewest games played in the month.

American League

AL Central 

Detroit (79-58)
Kansas City (70-66)
Cleveland (68-66)
Minnesota (61-74)
Chicago (48-88) 

August records: DET (15-12), KC (16-11), CLE (14-12), MIN (10-17), CHI (8-19).

Recall last season the Tigers were 69-68 and in fourth place in the AL Central heading into September before making their move and earning a wild card playoff spot and playoff series win over the Houston Astros before losing to Cleveland in 5 games. The Guardians and Royals are chasing the Mariners for the final playoff spot as wild cards. The Twins firesale at the trading deadline has them rebuilding. However, top starting pitchers remain with All-Star Joe Ryan and opening day starter Pablo Lopez, who returns next week from a 3-month shoulder injury/rehap. 

AL East 

Toronto (78-58)
New York (78-60)
Boston (75-62)
Tampa Bay (66-69)
Baltimore (61-75) 

August records: TOR (14-12), NYY (16-11), BOS (16-11), TB (12-13), BAL (11-16) 

The Toronto Blue Jays were in last place heading into September last year, and now lead the AL East. The Yankees were leading the AL East into July, and the Red Sox were below .500. New York has also won a season-high 7 games heading into the final game of August at Chicago, and have also won 9-straight road games for the first time since 1998. Yankees slugger and MVP favorite Aaron Judge is leading the AL in batting average (.321), on-base percentage and slugging percentage - a modern Triple Crown, of sorts. If you adjust his OPS for the league environment, he is literally twice as good as the average hitter, despite despite playing through a right elbow injury the second half of the season with his batting average dropping from the high .300's.

AL West

Houston (75-61)
Seattle (72-64)
Texas (70-67)
LA Angeles (63-72)
Oakland (63-74)

August records: HOU (13-14), SEA (14-12), TEX (13-14), LAA (10-16), OAK (15-11)

Mariners cather Cal Raleigh leads the majors with 50 home runs, and 40 coming as catcher (10 DH) with MLB's most HR's in a season by a catcher (42) likely to be broken by Raleigh. The Rangers have won 4-straight and 8-of-10 to keep their wild card hopes alive and still just 5.5 games behind division-leading Houston with six games against the Astros in September. 

Key AL games and schedules

Sept. 1-3: Cleveland at Boston 
Sept. 2-4 - NY Yankees at Houston
Sept. 5-7: Toronto at NY Yankees / Houston at Texas
Sept. 8-11: Kansas City at Cleveland
Sept. 9-11: Detroit at NY Yankees  / Houston at Toronto  
Sept. 12-14: NY Yankees at Boston 
Sept. 15-17: Texas at Houston 
Sept. 16-18: Cleveland at Detroit  
Sept. 19-21: Toronto at Kansas City / Seattle at Houston 
Sept. 23-25: Boston at Toronto / Detroit at Cleveland / 
Sept. 26-28: Detroit at Boston

Interleague

Sept. 1-3: NY Mets at Detroit / Toronto at Cincinnati
Sept. 8-10: Milwaukee at Texas
Sept. 12-14: Kansas City at Philadelphia / Texas at NY Mets
Sept. 26-28: LA Dodgers at Seattle

National League 

NL Central

Milwaukee (85-52)
Chicago (78-58) 
Cincinnati (68-68)
St. Louis (68-69)
Pittsburgh (61-76) 

August records: MIL (21-8), CHI (15-13), CIN (11-15), STL (13-14), PIT (14-14).

The Brewers 14-game winning streak to start August broke open the division, and the Cubs still have a better record than the NL-West leading Dodgers and just 1-game worse than the Phillies. The Reds have lost 5-straight and 8-of-9 to close the month and now big longshots to make the playoffs. 

NL East

Philadelphia (79-57)
New York Mets (73-63)
Miami (64-72)
Atlanta (61-75)
Washington (53-82)

August records: PHI (18-10), NYM (11-16), MIA (12-17), ATL (15-13), WSH (-)

The Mets led the division a month ago, but now trail the Phillies by 6.0 games and may need to sweep the 4-game series at Philadelphia starting Sept. 8 to have a shot to win the division with the majors highest active payroll. The Braves rank as the most disappointing team in baseball as a playoff favorite to start the season and now just 61 wins after 89 last season. 

NL West

Los Angeles (77-59)
San Diego (76-60)
Arizona (68-69)
San Francisco (67-69)
Colorado (38-98)

August records: LAD (14-13), SD (16-11), AZ (17-11), SF (13-14), COL (10-18) 

The NL West standings are identical to the start of September last season, but the Dodgers are in the tighest division race in baseball with the Padres. The two teams were tied for the division lead on Aug. 25 with the Dodgers (-170) favored to capture the division over the Padres (+135). Those two teams do not play each other in September, but I'll likely be at the Phillies/Dodgers game Sept. 15 and/or 16 while attending a sports business conference in Los Angeles. Too little too late for the Diamondbacks, who made the playoffs last season and have won 4-straight going for the series sweep at Los Angeles on Aug. 31.

Key NL games and schedules

Sept. 1-3: Philadelphia at Milwaukee   
Sept. 5-7: NY Mets at Cincinnati 
Sept. 8-11: NY Mets at Philadelphia / Cincinnati at San Diego (3) 
Sept. 12-14: LA Dodgers at San Francisco  
Sept. 15-17: Philadelphia at LA Dodgers / Cincinnati at St. Louis 
Sept. 16-18: San Diego at NY Mets
Sept. 18-21: San Francisco at LA Dodgers / Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati  
Sept. 19-21: Milwaukee at St. Louis 
Sept. 22-24: Milwaukee at San Diego 
Sept. 23-25: NY Mets at Chicago Cubs
Sept. 26-28: Cincinnati at Milwaukee / St. Louis at Chicago Cubs / Arizona at San Diego 

Odds To Win The 2025 World Series

MLB game and futures odds from OSGA Elite-rated sportsbooks refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting. BetOnline and and Heritage Sports reduced juice sportsbook also offers MLB series odds, team totals, game and player props, alternate runs and more. MLB adjusted World Series odds as of Aug. 25. 

+375: LA Dodgers
+650: Brewers
+800: Tigers, Phillies, Padres
+900: Blue Jayes
+1000: Mariners
+1100: Mariners, Astros, NY Yankees
+1600: Red Sox, Cubs
+1800: Mets
+6600: Rangers
+10000: Reds, Royals
+125000: Guardians

Follow along and compare the futures and season win totals and monitor the team schedules, injuries and key series as the leading online sportsbooks adjust the odds and post daily MLB odds and matchups throughout the 2025 MLB season. 

You can bet on it. 

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