2020 MLB Playoffs Preview and Odds to Win World Series

The 2020 MLB regular season came to an end on Sunday to set the stage for this year’s playoffs and World Series run. The top eight teams from both the American and National League will get the postseason started on Tuesday.

2020 MLB Playoffs Format

New for this season is the best-of-three opening round. The three MLB division winners and the team with the next best record will face off against the next four teams in the standings. The winners of these four matchups in the AL and NL will advance to the best-of-five league division series.

The final two teams in each league will face each in the best-of-seven championship series for a spot in this season’s best-of-seven MLB World Series.

Dodgers and Rays Earn Top Playoff Seeds

As expected, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the top seed in the National League. They went 43- 17 overall to post the best record in the Majors. The Dodgers remain clear favorites to win the NL Pennant at +140 odds. They also top the list as +325 favorites to win the World Series.

Los Angeles will open the playoffs on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Brewers as the No. 8 seed in the NL.

The Tampa Bay Rays were the big story in the American League with a 40-20 record that was seven games better than the AL East second-place New York Yankees. These are the two teams to beat in the AL.

The Rays will face the division rival Toronto Blue Jays in the opening round. Tampa Bay’s odds to win the AL Pennant are set at +325. It has the second-best odds (+600) to go on and win it all.


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Top Contenders to Win 2020 MLB World Series

The Yankees are the No. 5 seed in the AL and they will open the playoffs against the No. 4 Cleveland Indians on Tuesday. New York’s futures odds to win the AL title are set at +350 as the second-favorite. Those odds jump to +650 as the third-favorite to win the World Series.

The odds to win the MLB World Series rise quickly from there. In the NL, the No. 4 San Diego Padres are +450 second-favorites to win the NL. They have +1000 odds to win this year’s world title. The Oakland Athletics are the No. 3 seed in the AL and they have matching +1000 odds to win the World Series.

Also in the mix at +1000 is the AL’s Minnesota Twins as the No. 2 seed in the league. They went 36-24 to match the A’s overall record. If the opening round goes chalk, the Twins and A’s would then face one another in one of the two ALDS matchups.

The Atlanta Braves won the NL East with a record of 35-25. As the No. 2 seed in the NL, their odds to win the pennant are +575 behind the Dodgers and Padres. The Braves’ odds to win the World Series are set at +1100.


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If Atlanta can get past the Cincinnati Reds in the opening round, this would set up a possible NLDS showdown against the No. 3 Chicago Cubs. The Cubs will face the Miami Marlins in their opening best-of-three start at Wrigley.

Chicago’s odds to win the NL Pennant are set at +750. They move to +1200 to win it all.

The opening round of the playoffs will take place at the higher seed’s home ball park. The league division and championship series will take place at various MLB bubble sites. This year’s World Series will be played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.