The 2025 MLB postseason kicks off today, and the Wild Card Round has no shortage of intrigue and big bets. With top seeds like the Brewers, Phillies, Blue Jays, and Mariners waiting in the Division Series to see what happens in this one, the remaining 8 playoff teams are fighting for their postseason survival in a best-of-three series. This round is loaded with matchups, momentum, and managing arms carefully. Every pitch matters and every at-bat can flip the script.
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To help you make the best bets for the MLB Playoffs, we’re breaking down which teams are trending up, and how the bookmakers sees the World Series picture shaping up as we head into October baseball.
Unlike previous years, this Wild Card slate feels wide open. While the top 2 seeds in the AL and NL have rightfully earned a bye to the Division Series, that doesn’t mean they’re immune to early exits — just ask the 2022 Dodgers or the 2023 Braves.
In the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays locked the #1 seed with their 95-67 record and Seattle Mariners notched the #2 seed with their 93-69 record while the Yankees, Guardians, Red Sox, and Tigers battle it out.
In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers finished with an NL-best 96 wins, followed closely by the Phillies and Dodgers. The Cubs, Padres, and Reds round out the field.
Here's a quick reminder in cas you forgot — all Wild Card games are hosted by the higher seed in the matchup. That’s a huge edge in a short 3 game series.
This is a clash of contrast and the Guardians come in scorching hot as they’re winners of 19 of their last 23. Their pitching staff has been lights-out, finishing with a league-best 3.45 ERA. The Tigers, meanwhile, limped to the finish line after a strong first half. On top of that, they lost 5 of the 6 games they played against Cleveland in the final weeks of the season.
Cleveland’s rotation is built to win low-scoring games. Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, and Slade Cecconi don’t just eat up innings — they shut teams down. José Ramírez continues to be one of the most reliable postseason bats in the league, and newcomer Jhonkensy Noel adds a little more pop in key spots.
Detroit needs Tarik Skubal to be flawless in Game 1. He’s been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season with an 18-5 record and a 2.39 ERA. But if he falters, Cleveland’s depth likely takes over. Riley Greene needs to snap out of his post-All-Star funk for the Tigers to hang.
Prediction: Tigers in 3. Skubal probably takes the opener and historically, the team that wins game 1 of the WC series has a 70% chance of taking the series.
This is a classic rivalry with a new chapter. The Red Sox took the regular season series 9-4, including a 5-2 mark at Yankee Stadium, but the Yankees have the MVP frontrunner and by far the most dangerous offense in the league.
Aaron Judge launched 54 HRs this year and is joined by a deep lineup that led the league in slugging and OPS. Max Fried and Carlos Rodón give the Yankees 2 top-tier lefty arms to lean on. The bullpen is the biggest wild card in this series as they’ve been dominant in stretches, erratic in others.
Boston counters with Garrett Crochet, who had a breakout season with a 17-6 record and a 2.88 ERA and owns the Yankees this year. But with Tristan Casas hurt and Rafael Devers traded just before the deadline, the lineup doesn’t have the same thump they entered the season with. A rookie might be forced into a Game 3 start.
Prediction: Yankees in 2. New York's offense wakes up, and Judge puts on a show at one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks. Fried handles business in Game 1, and Rodón settles in after a rocky history vs. Boston.
This might be the most evenly matched series in this round. Both teams split their regular-season games, and their numbers match up almost too well. The Cubs are leaning on a rotation full of LHPs, which matches up nicely against a Padres lineup that struggles against southpaws.
Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga both had strong seasons and they don’t appear to be slowing down. If Chicago gets solid starts, their offense — led by a healthy Cody Bellinger — should have just enough juice to scrape out a couple of wins to move onto the Divisional round.
The Padres still have star power so they shouldn’t be underestimated. Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. are capable of flipping a game with one swing and the bullpen has been elite, posting a 2.98 ERA, but they’ve been stretched thin lately.
Prediction: Cubs in 3. Home-field matters, and the Cubs’ lefties keep the Padres quiet enough to pull it off.
On paper, this definitely looks like a mismatch. The Dodgers won 92 games and boast an elite lineup led by Shohei Ohtani, who smashed 55 dingers this year and had the 2nd best OPS with 1.014. Throw in Roki Sasaki returning to the bullpen, and you’ve got a team built to roll deep into October.
But don’t sleep on the Reds because Hunter Greene is throwing flames again with a 2.45 ERA since the All-Star break, and if he can steal Game 1, things get interesting fast. The Reds' young arms — Greene, Lodolo, and Abbott — can undoubtedly miss bats, but the bullpen is running on fumes.
The Dodgers counter with former Cy Young winner Blake Snell and Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They don’t need to overpower teams when the bats can drop 7+ runs any night.
Prediction: Dodgers in 2. Ohtani sets the tone while Snell and Yamamoto do their job, and that’s a matchup that Cincinnati simply can’t keep up with.
Love it or hate it, the sportsbooks have made it clear — the Dodgers are the team to beat. FanDuel has them at +550 to win the World Series, while BetMGM puts them close behind. The Phillies and Brewers are in the mix, with odds ranging from +650 to +800. The Yankees and Blue Jays are next in line among AL teams.
Interestingly, Cleveland, despite being one of the hottest teams entering October, is still sitting around +2000 at most books. That's higher than you'd expect for a team with elite pitching and a recent track record of postseason success. That might be a bet you can steal, but we’d recommend some hedging as well.
Here’s a snapshot of current odds with the shortest lines across top sportsbooks—
Dodgers: +550
Phillies: +650
Brewers: +800
Yankees: +800
Blue Jays: +950
Cubs: +1500
Mariners: +1500
Padres: +1600
Red Sox: +2200
Tigers: +2000
Guardians: +3000
Reds: +3500
It’s really no surprise that the Reds are the longest shot by a mile. The market doesn’t trust their pitching depth, and matching up with the Dodgers is a rough draw.
The Wild Card round is about handling pressure and these 3-game sets move fast. One dominant pitching performance or one big swing can swing the series. As we mentioned, historically, teams that win Game 1 take 70% of the series and that means today’s starters hold the key.
On top of that, keep an eye on bullpen usage. Managers are going to be aggressive, especially with no travel days and no room for mistakes.
And of course, narratives are everywhere. Yankees vs. The Red Sox is just about as juicy as it gets, Cleveland and Detroit are battling after a 19-4 run from the Guardians, the Cubs and Padres matching up in what feels like a coin flip, and then there's Shohei Ohtani — already a legend — trying to carry the Dodgers to a title.
October is here. Let’s see who’s built for it.