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2025 World Series Predictions with Betting Odds and Expert Picks

by Ryan Cobbett - 1/20/2025

World Series predictions Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Dodgers

MLB Spring Training games are just five weeks away as players wrap up their offseason and begin to pack for spring camp ahead of the 2025 season. The offseason has been full of great headlines, such as Juan Soto leaving the Pinstripes for the crosstown rival Mets, Blake Snell also departing one side of a rivalry for another as he joins forces with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Max Fried will join the Yankees as they look to keep up with the Dodgers, and so much more. There are still some big names left on the market that could alter the odds, such as Alex Bregman and Anthony Santander, with Nolan Arenado’s name being floated in the trade market. Despite some odd changing moves, with the new season quickly approaching, let’s take a look at the teams with the best odds of winning the 2025 World Series and analyzing their current rosters to see why they will win and some potential weaknesses that could hold them back.

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Los Angeles Dodgers +320

After winning the World Series last season, the Dodgers have begun their quest to defend their trophy. After putting together a video game like roster last offseason, the Dodgers have continued to delve into their MLB Show minds and have once again made some big time moves. They brought back Blake Treinen and Teoscar Hernandez while also adding Snell and Roki Sasaki to the rotation, Tanner Scott to the bullpen, and Michael Conforto and Hyeseong Kim to replenish their depth.

Why They Will:

The Dodgers will win the 2025 World Series because of their incredibly deep starting rotation and their big four bats. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Teoscar Hernandez all finished in the Top 30 in the league in WAR. After their top four, the lineup still features names like Will Smith and Max Muncy, giving the Dodgers a deep lineup. With that deep of a lineup, it’d be hard to believe their rotation was deeper… Well, it is. The rotation includes Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Landon Knack, Roki Sasaki, and the return of Tyler Gonsolin and Dustin May. As if they needed any more reinforcements, Ohtani will be an option to return in the early summer months paired with the potential of bringing back Clayton Kershaw would continue to add depth with guys like Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan, and River Ryan waiting in the wings.

Potential Weakness:

You have to knit-pick to find something wrong with this roster. However, if you look close enough, durability has been an issue for the Dodgers. Los Angeles did not have a single player appear in every single game last season. Betts missed 46 games, Muncy and Chris Taylor combined for just 150 appearances, while Glasnow, Yamamoto, and Kershaw all saw extended time on the Injured List. Gonsolin and May haven’t pitched since 2023 due to injuries. The Dodgers have proven depth thanks to the injuries because they have shined the light on guys like Gavin Stone, Miller, Sheehan, and Knack, but the stars in Los Angeles are a tad injury prone and that could come back and bite them.

New York Yankees +750

The Yankees were totally dominated by the Dodgers in the World Series, falling in five games. To make matters worse, Soto decided to make the walk down the street as he traded away his pinstripes to join the Mets. The Yankees have also seen Clay Holmes, Gleyber Torres, Anthony Rizzo, and Alex Verdugo hit the free agent market, which has left their depth in question. The Yankees offseason hasn’t been all bad as they reinforced the rotation with Fried, their bullpen with Devin Williams, and their lineup with Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt. However, they are likely done while teams like the Dodgers, Mets, and Phillies are still in a position to improve their rosters.

Why They Will:

We just discussed the Dodgers top half of the rotation, which is scary, but the Yankees might have the best 1-2 punch in the league in Gerrit Cole and the newly acquired Fried. Both pitchers have plenty of playoff experience and have been relied on as the go to guys in some big moments. When Fried is on and healthy, his curveball is one of the best pitches in baseball, while Cole has 250+ strikeout potential. Either one of these guys could be tasked with shutting down the opposition’s best and either guy is more than capable of doing it. Behind their two titans are Carlos Rodon and Lucas Gil. Rodon has shown glimpses of what we were used to in his time with the Giants, while Gil is the former AL Rookie of the Year after posting a 3.50 ERA and 171 strikeouts over 151.2 innings. They may not be as deep as the Dodgers, but this rotation has one of the highest ceilings of any group in the MLB and it can lead them right back to the World Series.

Potential Weakness:

Speaking of 1-2 punches, Aaron Judge and Soto were among the league’s best tandems after both players finished in the Top Six in WAR. However, Soto is with the Mets and Judge has lost his protection. The lineup is incredibly weak after Judge, with guys like Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu, and Goldschmidt whose glory days are behind them. Then you have Bellinger, who has had a rollercoaster of a career going from NL MVP to a big-time question mark. Behind Judge, this lineup isn’t scaring anyone.

Atlanta Braves +850

The Braves are now three years removed from their last World Series win, and they have been victims of first round exits in each of the last three seasons. Last season the Braves were severely limited by all their injuries. Ozzie Albies played in only 99 games, while Austin Riley and Michael Harris each missed 52 games, Ronald Acuna tore his ACL just 49 games into the season, and Spencer Strider made just two starts. On top of the injuries, Matt Olson, Sean Murphy, and Orlando Arcia all took big steps backwards in their production. The Braves only made the playoffs because of the excellent, and totally unexpected, pitching from Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, and Spencer Schwellenbach.

Why They Will:

With the injuries and first round exits, it is easy to forget just how complete this Braves roster is at full strength. It remains to be seen what Acuna looks like after his second ACL tear and just how dominant Strider can be after his surgery. However, if these guys can work their way to 80% of what they were before, the Braves potential will skyrocket from what it is now. Marcell Ozuna was the backbone of the lineup last season. And if Olson and Riley can get back to their MVP potential production that we saw just two seasons ago, the Braves will have the deepest lineup in the league. In 2023, the Braves lineup was historic, with Olson clubbing 54 homeruns while he and three other Braves recorded over 100 RBIs. These Braves are still a fairly young team and should have no problem finding their stride once healthy.

Potential Weakness:

Time and lack of depth are the Braves kryptonite this season. Acuna will miss the first two months of the season, which leaves a lot of uncertainty in the outfield for the Braves. Harris will command center, but as of now the Braves will depend on Jarred Kelenic and either Bryand De La Cruz or Eli White to fill the big hole left by Acuna. Strider will likely miss Opening Day, and any delay in his return could be quite impactful especially now that the rotation no longer features Fried or Charlie Morton who left for the Orioles. Atlanta will depend on Sale, Lopez, and Schwellenbach to lock it down once again until Strider returns.

Philadelphia Phillies +1000

Like their NL East counterpart, the Phillies have decided to not make a lot of noise this offseason like the Yankees or Dodgers. They did, however, make some under-the-radar additions through free agency while also deepening their rotation via trade. The Phillies acquired Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins, while also signing Joe Ross and Jordan Romano to deepen their pitching staff. And Max Kepler to give them a solid depth piece with a fairly high ceiling.

Why They Will:

The Yankees, Mariners, Orioles, Rangers, and Diamondbacks, among others, have some solid rotations in place, but no one can rival the Dodgers rotation, except for the Phillies. Philadelphia’s rotation is aging, but Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola have shown no signs of slowing down. Behind their top veterans are Ranger Suarez, Christopher Sanchez, and now Luzardo. That is one elite group. And when you pair their rotation with a lineup that ranked in the Top Five in runs and OPS, it is no wonder why the Phillies ended the Braves long NL East Champion run. Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos, and Kyle Schwarber are one of the best slugging quartets in the MLB. And with the addition of Kepler, the Phillies have another 20+ homerun potential bat that will come off the bench. Their odds have swollen thanks to the all the noise made by the Dodgers, but the Phillies may be the second-best team in not just the NL, but the entire league. 

Potential Weakness:

The lone weakness of this Phillies team is their bullpen. Last year, the Phillies ranked 14th in bullpen ERA, but that was with Jeff Hoffman, who is now in Toronto, Carlos Esteves, who is no longer with the team, and included career years from Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering. Hoffman also was a part of the closer committee the Phillies had in place that has now seemingly fallen on the shoulders of the newly acquired Romano. However, Romano posted a 6.59 ERA across 13.2 innings last season. You don’t need the bullpen to be great with a lineup and rotation like this, but it could be the season altering factor for the Phillies as they look to win the World Series.

The Rest of the League:

New York Mets +1000

Baltimore Orioles +1400

San Diego Padres +1600

Houston Astros +1700

Texas Rangers +2200

Boston Red Sox +2500

Chicago Cubs +2800

Arizona Diamondbacks +3000

Seattle Mariners +3000

Minnesota Twins +3000

Detroit Tigers +3000

Cleveland Guardians +3500

Kansas City Royals +4000

Tampa Bay Rays +4000

Milwaukee Brewers +4800

Toronto Blue Jays +6500

Cincinnati Reds +7000

San Francisco Giants +7500

St. Louis Cardinals +12000

Los Angeles Angels +15000

Pittsburgh Pirates +15000

Athletics +16000

Washington Nationals +18000

Miami Marlins +40000

Colorado Rockies +50000

Chicago White Sox +50000

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