Will it be Sho-time or Bo-time? As the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers gear up for what promises to be a marquee Fall Classic, there is much to anticipate for fans — and many angles to ponder for potential bettors.
Let’s start with the most obvious potential wager: Which team takes the 2025 World Series title?
At the BetMGM online sportsbook, the Dodgers — with all their depth and post-season experience — are the -220 favourite to win it all. (That means you’d need to bet $220 on L.A. for the chance to win $100.)
The Blue Jays are listed as the +180 underdogs, which means a $100 bet on Toronto would pay $180 in winnings, should Toronto prevail.
An interesting sidenote: Oddsmakers report that since the World Series matchup was set, a majority of bets placed at BetMGM have been on the Jays to win. Bettors are backing the underdog.
Want to get a little more specific? You can also bet on the duration of the Series. Right now, the top choice among bettors at BetMGM is a six-game series (+210), followed by a seven-game series (+220). Those who foresee a sweep can get a nice price: +525, or a little more than 5-1 odds.
One additional note of interest: At BetMGM, the Blue Jays started the season at +6000 (or 60-1) to win the World Series. In other words, a $10 bet on the Jays in March will pay $600 if they wind up winning the title. By way of contrast, the Dodgers were all but expected to make it to the World Series. At BetMGM, almost 30 per cent of the money wagered this season on a World Series champion backed Los Angeles.
MVP
Unsurprisingly, Shohei Ohtani is the strong favourite (+165) to be named World Series Most Valuable Player. It’s tough to imagine a scenario in which the Dodgers win it all without "Two-Way" Shohei playing a pivotal role. BetMGM reports that 46 per cent of the money bet on MVP is tied to the Dodger superstar.
How profound is Ohtani’s dominance? He is the MVP favourite even among Ontario bettors. The Dodger is attracting 33 per cent of Ontario-based money at BetMGM, compared to 30 per cent for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Across all markets served by BetMGM, Guerrero Jr. (+600) is the No. 2 choice for World Series MVP, followed by George Springer (+1000) and Freddie Freeman (+1300). Those whose tastes run to storybook endings might be intrigued to find Bo Bichette listed at +2000 to win the award. If he plays, Game 1 of the World Series would be the first time that the Toronto shortstop has been in a playoff lineup this year.
Most home runs
Have a hunch about who’ll hit the most dingers in the Series? On BetMGM, most of the wagers are on the usual suspects — Ohtani (the favourite at +275), Guerrero Jr. (+425) and Springer (+600), who in 2017 tied the record for most home runs in a single World Series, with five.
But baseball history is chock full of mashers who got hot for a series. Looking beyond the favourites, there are intriguing prices on a range of hitters, including Max Muncy (+700), Addison Barger (+1800) and Freeman (+2000).
If you’re more interested in head-to-head competition, Guerrero Jr. is a +155 underdog on BetMGM to hit more homers than Ohtani in the Series.
Most hits
The Blue Jays’ presence in the World Series has more than a little to do with the following stat: Guerrero Jr. (19) and Ernie Clement (18) lead all players in the 2025 MLB post-season in total hits. The top Dodger, Mookie Betts, has 12.
If you believe that Clement is going to stay hot, you’ll be pleased to learn that the Jays utility infielder is, at +1400, ranked 10th among the betting choices for most hits in the Series. Guerrero Jr. leads the pack at +400. Another intriguing option: Nathan Lukes, who has 13 hits in the playoffs, as the 12th choice at +2800.
Parlays
Let’s wrap things up with a quick look at some potential parlays, which are single bets that link together two or more wagers.
A good example? At BetMGM, you can place a +475 bet on Ohtani to record eight or more strikeouts and two or more hits in any single game of the Series.
Think that underestimates Ohtani’s potential? How about 150-1 odds on Shohei getting 15 or more strikeouts and hitting five or more homers in the World Series. (In that version of the World Series, things are unlikely to end well for Toronto.)
On the Jays’ side of things, a parlay of Springer and Guerrero Jr. both homering in Game 1 is priced at +2200. There are no odds available on the likelihood of the roof being blown off the Rogers Centre should that happen.
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