2024 MLB Playoff Odds: Astros Starting to Look Like Old Selves

The ring is the thing. Baseball's ultimate goal is the World Series, but you have to make it to October before you can start planning the parade. With expanded playoffs, the field is more wide open than ever before. And like always, you can still wager on one of the simpler markets available: will a team make the playoffs?

So let's look at a simple yes/no betting market and each team's MLB odds to reach baseball's postseason this October.

2024 MLB playoff odds

Team	Yes	No
Atlanta Braves	-5,000	+1,700
Los Angeles Dodgers	-3,000	+1,400
Philadelphia Phillies	-550	+425
New York Yankees	-450	+360
Baltimore Orioles	-360	+295
Chicago Cubs	-205	+170
Seattle Mariners	-190	+165
Texas Rangers	-165	+135
Cleveland Guardians	-145	+125
Minnesota Twins	-130	+110
Milwaukee Brewers	-115	-105
Houston Astros	+120	-140
Toronto Blue Jays	+135	-160
Arizona Diamondbacks	+145	-170
Cincinnati Reds	+160	-190
Detroit Tigers	+170	-200
New York Mets	+180	-215
St. Louis Cardinals	+185	-220
Boston Red Sox	+210	-250
San Francisco Giants	+220	-270
Kansas City Royals	+220	-265
Tampa Bay Rays	+250	-300
San Diego Padres	+300	-370
Pittsburgh Pirates	+600	-800
Oakland A's	+2,500	-20,000
Miami Marlins	+2,500	-20,000
Washington Nationals	+2,500	-20,000
Chicago White Sox	+2,500	-20,000
Colorado Rockies	+2,500	-20,000
Los Angeles Angels	OTB	OTB

Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of 5-1-24.

MLB playoff odds analysis

The first team to be completely removed from the playoff odds betting board is the Los Angeles Angels. Now, they could re-emerge in a day or two, but the team is reeling from the loss of Mike Trout to knee surgery. The Angels were already massive long shots to reach October with Trout in the lineup and losing him for any stretch of time was bound to be catastrophic. 

Still, FanGraphs has them at a 2.8% chance of rallying just enough to reach the postseason, which is a higher number than the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins, Colorado Rockies, or Chicago White Sox have. The latter two on that list are already at 0%.

The Los Angeles Dodgers hit a bit of a dip in the schedule and saw their odds of making the playoffs fall all the way to...uh...16/1. They've returned to their winning ways, have a 94.% chance at making the postseason (81.7% to win the NL West) and the betting odds have bounced back up to 30/1 in a week's time. 

This might be the best number we get on the Houston Astros in this market, as they're listed at plus money to make the playoffs. The Astros have won three in a row, scoring at least eight runs in each victory. Granted, two of those came in Mexico City against the hapless Rockies, but the offense does appear to be rounding into form. The pitching leaves a lot to be desired but FanGraphs projects a 49.4% chance of Houston reaching October, which is actually a better number than what they're giving the Cleveland Guardians (43.3%).

MLB Postseason format

The MLB playoffs expanded in the 2022 season, adding an extra wild card to both the AL and NL, making it a total of 12 teams in the postseason.

The new format will see the top two division winners in each league (Seeds 1 and 2) get a first-round bye, while the third-best division winner (Seed 3) will host the third wild card (Seed 6) — and the two remaining wild cards (Seeds 4 and 5) will face off — in a three-game series.

Following the Wild Card Round, the No. 1 seed will face the winner of the two wild cards (Seeds 4/5), while the No. 2 seed will face the No. 3 vs No. 6 winner in the Divisional Round.

If the second-best record in the league does not come from a division winner (e.g. the San Francisco Giants in 2021), they will remain the top wild card — and not get a first-round bye.

MLB Postseason Odds FAQs

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