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Atlanta Braves Begin Playoffs as Betting Favorite to Win 2023 World Series

The Atlanta Braves are the betting favorite at +310 odds to win the 2023 World Series with the MLB playoffs beginning today.

Ronald Acuna Braves
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald  Acuña Jr. celebrates a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies. (Image: Getty)

The Houston Astros won the 2022 World Series, and they began the season as the consensus favorite to repeat at +650 odds. There has not been a repeat champion in MLB in 23 years since New York Yankees won three-straight titles between 1998 and 2000.

2023 MLB PLAYOFF TEAM WORLD SERIES ODDS PRESEASON ODDS
Atlanta Braves +310 +750
LA Dodgers +400 +850
Houston Astros +450 +650
Tampa Bay Rays +1000 +1900
Baltimore Orioles +700 +7000
Texas Rangers +1600 +4500
Philadelphia Phillies +1300 +1800
Minnesota Twins +2000 +3500
Milwaukee Brewers +1700 +3500
Toronto Blue Jays +1600 +1200
Arizona Diamondbacks +3000 +18000
Miami Marlins +3500 +8000

The Astros (+650), Braves (+750), Yankees (+750), Los Angeles Dodgers (+850), New York Mets (+950), and San Diego Padres (+950) were the top six favorites to win the World Series at the end of Spring Training.

Three of those early betting favorites — Yankees, Mets, Padres — failed to qualify for the playoffs and they had among the highest-paid payrolls in baseball this season.

The Yankees went off the rails during one of their worst losing streaks in 28 years, and the Mets gutted their team and dealt pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander at the trade deadline.

Braves Hope to Avoid Another Early Exit

The Braves advanced to the playoffs in six consecutive seasons under manager Brian Snitker, but they won the World Series only once in 2021.

The Braves won 101 games last season, but were eliminated in the NLDS by the Philadelphia Phillies in four games. It marked the third time since 2018 that the Braves were knocked out of the postseason in the NLDS. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the Dodgers defeated the Braves in the NLCS and denied them a trip to the World Series.

In the 2021 playoffs, the Braves ran the table with an 11-5 record and defeated the Astros in the World Series to win their first championship since 1995.

The Braves seek a fifth championship. They have been a popular pick the win the World Series for most of the season.

The Braves ended Spring Training at +750 odds to win the World Series as the second cofavorite on DraftKings’ futures board with the Yankees.

The Braves passed the 100-win mark in back-to-back seasons for the first time in 20 years. They won 104 games this season and surpassed last year’s total of 101 wins.

With 104 wins, the Braves tied a franchise mark for second-most wins in team history. The 1993 squad won 104 games but were eliminated in the NLCS. The 1998 Braves won 106 games, yet lost in the NLCS that year.

This year’s Braves had identical home and road records at 52-29, and they are tied with the Baltimore Orioles for the best away record this season.

The Braves are the #1 seed in the National League, and have a bye. They will meet the winner of the NL Wild Card round between the #5 Miami Marlins and #4 Philadelphia Phillies.

Hotlanta’s Big 3: Acuña, Olson, and Strider

Right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. posted an MVP season with 41 home runs and 106 RBI. The speedster led the major with 73 stolen bases. He also slashed at .337/.416/.596.

First baseman Matt Olson was an ironman who played in every game this season. He was the Home Run King and led the majors with 54 home runs and 139 RBIs. Olson finished the season with a slashline of .283/.389/.604.

Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna bashed 40 home runs and drove in 100 RBI, and second baseman Ozzie Albies also contributed 33 home runs and 109 RBI.

The Braves got most of their tun production from Olson, Acuña, Albies, and Ozuna. All four players drove in 100-plus runs this season. Third baseman Austin Riley just missed the century mark with 97 RBI, but he also smacked 37 home runs. Their top five big bats combined for 151 home runs, or almost half of the team’s final tally of 307 long balls this season.

On the mound, ace Spencer Strider posted a 20-5 record with a 3.86 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 32 starts. He led the majors with 20 victories and 281 strikeouts. Strider anchors a dinged-up rotation with starters Max Fried and Charlie Morton both nursing injuries.

Set-up man AJ Minter and closer Raisel Iglesias are a dangerous combo late in the game for Snitker. Iglesias saved 33 games and has a 2.75 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. Minter has 21 holds and 10 saves with a 3.76 ERA and 1.19 WHIP.

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Despite Blowout Loss, Draft Kings Leaves Brooklyn Nets at +650 To Miss Playoffs

The Brooklyn Nets were down 50 points to the Chicago Bulls at several points last night during their road game in the Windy City, and things have never looked so bleak. Ben Simmons was watching in street clothes again, Cam Thomas had lost his magic touch, and the resettled former members of the Suns looked lost. In Phoenix, Durant sat once again.

Kevin Durant Phoenix Suns debut owner Mat Ishbia trade
Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia (left) and general manager James Jones (right) joins Kevin Durant (center) at the introductory press conference after the Brooklyn Nets traded Durant to the Suns. (Image: USA Today Sports)

His old team, the Nets were dreadful as they remained in fifth place in the Eastern Conference but had their lead over the New York Knicks cut to one game. The Miami Heat are lurking 2 1/2 games back in seventh place, which is play-in territory.

If the Nets somehow land down there, or 8th, 9th or 10th, they are a play-in team. And if they do not get out of the play-in tournament, they are not a playoff team. Thems the rules at the sportsbooks.

And that possibility — missing the playoffs — remained priced at +650 at Draft Kings on Saturday morning despite what happened Friday night. Brooklyn to miss the playoffs was +550 at BetRivers, and off the board at the other seven New York sportsbooks. Those odds were subject to change, but early risers had that opportunity in front of them as the sun came up to begin the weekend.

The Nets played the worst half in their history Friday night en route to one of their worst beatings in years against a Bulls team that had lost six straight. You are excused if you are a Nets fan who turned off the TV when it was 11-0.

How Bad Can Things Get For the Nets?

They have now lost three of four and five of seven, and next up is a road game Sunday at Atlanta before Hell Week commences: At home Tuesday for the Bucks, at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday to face the Knicks, then at Boston on Friday night on ESPN (unless Mickey Mouse comes to his senses and makes the Knicks-Heat the national TV game.) If we assume they go 0-4, which seems safe to assume after what we saw last night, they will be 34-29.

That is still well above .500, and right now the eighth-place team, the Hawks, is a .500 squad.

But dropping into the play-in bracket remains a real possibility, especially with the Nets having two games remaining against both Milwaukee and Cleveland, with  stretch of seven of eight games being played on the road beginning next Wednesday at MSG. That stretch will be  followed by home games against the Nuggets, Kings and two against the Cavs.

The Web site Five-Thirty-Eight gives the Nets an 85 percent chance of making the playoffs and a 0.3 chance of winning the title, which is a head-scratcher. Nothing is assured for any team finishing lower than sixth, and the Nets are highly capable of losing two consecutive play-in games.

A lot can happen over the course of the remaining 23 games. Beverley’s new team is on the outside looking in sitting 11th in the East (27-33), and 9th place Toronto (29-31) or 10th place Washington (28-31) could fall out. The Wizards’ odds of making the playoff were +210 Saturday morning, the Bulls were +450 and the Raptors were +145 as they headed into a noon game at Detroit. The Nets were listed at -1000 at both DraftKings and BetRivers to make the playoffs.

What Would It Take For Nets To Fall To Seventh or Eighth?

The Nets would win a tiebreaker with the Heat, currently seventh, and they are 1-0 against eighth-place Atlanta heading into Sunday’s game with two games remaining vs. the Hawks. So Miami would have to finish a game ahead, and the tiebreaker with Atlanta remains to be determined.

Five Thirty-eight predicts an 11-12 finish. The Nets have the seventh-toughest remaining strength of schedule, according to Tankathon. And frankly, 11-12 seems generous judging off what we saw last night.

Of their next 15 games, only two are against tanking teams Houston and Charlotte. We could definitely see 2-13 or 3-12. The Magic (twice), Pistons and Rockets are four of their final eight opponents, while Miami still has three games left against the Sixers, three against the Knicks and two against the Cavs. Atlanta has three with the Wizards and two each against the Heat and Celtics.

Remember, the play-in tournament has the No. 7 team hosting the No. 8 team with the winner getting in and the loser hosing the loser of the No. 9-10 game. Only then will the playoff field be set with eight teams. Momentum and a talent drain are working against the Nets. The odds are in their favor, but should they be? Seems like +650 is an enticing wager.

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