MLB Futures and Season Props
As you probably could guess, an MLB futures bet is a wager on something that takes place in the future. It’s not tied to one particular baseball game like a single-game parlay, spread, over/under, or moneyline wager. Generally, a futures bet is a bet on the result of an entire season of play, but it can also be tied to an individual achievement like college football’s Heisman Trophy, NFL MVP, or the MLB Cy Young awards.
Types of MLB Futures Bets
MLB futures are a robust betting market featuring over a dozen bet types. As you can see above, SAO has an indispensable tracker that scours the top sportsbooks for up-to-the-minute prices on all the biggest MLB futures bets, including:
- World Series Winner
- NL Winner
- AL Winner
- NL East/Central/West Winners
- AL East/Central/West Winners
- NL/AL MVP
- NL/AL Cy Young (best pitcher)
- Total Team Wins by team
- Home Run Crown
- NL/AL Rookie of the Year
Futures odds are continually adjusted by the sportsbook based on team or individual performance. A team on a hot streak will have their win total adjusted and odds to win the division title go down, though not necessarily as much as you would think. Sportsbooks have a pretty good idea of where teams will end up before the season starts and don’t adjust the lines too much based on a week or two worth of success or failure.
Examples of In-Season Futures Adjustments
Two months into the 2022 MLB season, the Dodgers’ win total went from 97.5 preseason to 101.5 based on the team’s 40-25 record on June 6, 2022. After sputtering out of the gate, the Kansas City Royals were predicted to win just 64.5 games, down an alarming 11 games from the preseason prediction of 75.5. Lastly, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim were 4 games over .500 on June 6 and their win total remained virtually unchanged, going down from 84.5 before the season to 83, which means the team is performing just about as expected.
Finding Value in MLB Futures Odds
The best thing about the SAO MLB Futures tracker is that it tracks ALL the futures markets listed by the five leading sportsbooks. If just one sportsbook has odds on a player to win AL Rookie of the Year, for example, it’s in the tracker, even if the other sportsbooks don’t list the player. Think Luis Matos has a chance to win the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year? BetMGM and Caesars have him listed at +15000, so now’s your chance to place a few bucks on him at 150/1.
The tracker is best for finding value, particularly if you want to take a chance on a long shot. The pricing and availability varies wildly for players with long odds, but even the favorites still have very different prices. For example, before 2023 Opening Day Yankees superstar Aaron Judge was the second-favorite to win AL MVP behind Shohei Ohtani. This made sense because he is one of the best players in the league.
Still, the price for him to win AL MVP varied from +400 on Caesars to +700 on FanDuel, a difference of $300 in payout on a $100 bet. Using the tracker, you can instantly check all the prices without having to go to each individual sportsbook. In this case, the tracker instantly spotted an extra $300 in value waiting to be jumped on for those who judge Aaron to be the future AL MVP (pun very much intended). Just another example of SAO working for you, the bettor.
Expert MLB Futures Predictions
After you’re done taking a look at the SAO MLB Futures Tracker, head on over to the MLB Picks section, just one click away. You’ll usually see a free pick or two, but our SAO Premium subscribers get access to the best MLB player prop bets, game bets, and futures bets out there, posted every day, all for one low price. The SAO team is made up of expert handicappers who consistently find hidden value in the multitude of MLB wagering opportunities. Sign up for SAO Premium today!