MLB futures bets are wagers on events that are due to be settled further down the track. Any bet that is made well in advance of the actual event taking place is considered a futures bets. Examples of MLB futures bets are things like picking the World Series winner or Cy Young Award winners.
There’s a fantastic opportunity to win big amounts with MLB futures bets due to the fact there is a longer time period between the bet being placed and the eventual outcome. This window means there are more variables that can impact the outcome of the bet, thus the amount of risk the bettor is taking is perceived as greater.
As an example, you’ll likely get better odds wagering on the World Series winner when Spring Training starts in March than you will placing that same bet once the regular season is finished and two-thirds of the teams have been eliminated from the playoffs. For a more a detailed explanation of how MLB betting odds work for futures bets and other bet types, click here.
MLB futures bets are enticing to anyone looking to try and get ahead of the game and cash in on longer odds. It’s also a great way to have skin in the game over the course of an entire MLB season, without blowing the budget betting on every single game!
For example, say you place a $100 futures bet on the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the World Series. This enables you to spread your bankroll out over the course of the whole season, as opposed to placing a seperate wager on all 162 of the Dodgers’ regular season games, plus playoffs (which could get expensive real quick!). Regardless, you’ll still be paying close attention to the result of every Dodgers game and cheering for them like crazy along the path to the World Series.
The challenging thing for many MLB bettors when it comes to futures bets is their lack of patience when it comes to waiting for the bet to payout. In this world of instant gratification, waiting a whole season to collect your winnings (or possibly nothing at all if your bet loses) might not provide the desired level of excitement for some.
To help combat this, a lot of top sportsbooks will offer the opportunity to ‘cash out’ your futures bets. Put simply, the cash out option allows bettors to ‘cash out’ the bet before it is finalised, for a proportionate sum of money that reflects the current market.
MLB futures betting offers a vast array of opportunities to make money. Most futures markets focus on team or player achievements and milestones.
FUTURES BET OPTIONS - TEAMS
Undoubtedly the most popular MLB futures bet is trying to pick the World Series Champion, but there are also a host of other enticing team performance and milestone markets to wager on, including but certainly not limited to:
- American League and National League Winners
- Division Winners
- Regular Season Win Totals (Over/Under)
FUTURES BET OPTIONS - PLAYERS
Placing a futures bet on player performance or milestones is a sure-fire way to turn that particular individual into you favourite player. You’ll be cheering on every at bat and every pitch and you might even end up buying their jersey if your bet wins! Some examples of player-focused futures bet include:
- MLB Awards (National League and American League MVPs, Cy Young Award Winners etc.)
- Regular Season Stat Leaders (Home Run Leader, Strikeouts Leader etc.)
It’s important to note that if the player you’re looking for in these markets isn’t listed, you’ll have the opportunity to select the “FIELD” option. If picking the FIELD, you are wagering on none of the names listed (i.e. anyone else).
DID YOU KNOW? / FUN FACT
No MLB team has gone on to win the World Series at longer odds than the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals. If you’d placed a futures bet on the Cardinals to win the World Series when they were 4 1/2 games back in the wild-card race with 15 games left in the regular season, you would’ve got the eye-watering odds of +99900. St Louis went on to beat the Texas Rangers in a seven game series to win their second title in five years.
With so many futures bet options available to you, it’s worth shopping around with different sportsbooks such as BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, 888sport and Bet365 to find the best odds. Check out our Bet Basics list of our top recommended regulated legal sportsbooks to take advantage of our exclusive bonuses and special offers.