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MLB World Series Championship 2026 Betting Odds - Bet on MLB & Livestream Baseball Online
Some events in sports dwarf all others, and in baseball, it's the World Series, the MLB's annual championship. It's what every franchise and its supporters want to win, and it is the biggest day on the baseball calendar every year.
At Stake, we'll go through everything you need to know about the MLB championship series, when it is, and how to bet on baseball at Stake Sportsbook.
What is the MLB World Series Championship?
The World Series Championship is the postseason best-of-seven series that decides the overall winners of that year's Major League Baseball season. It's similar to the Super Bowl in American football's NFL or the Stanley Cup in ice hockey's NHL.
The winners of each league's League Championship Series will face off in the World Series, ultimately deciding the best team across all the American and National League divisions.
History of the MLB World Series Championship
When there was only one top-level professional league for baseball in the United States, there was no need for the World Series. Instead, the champions were decided by who ended the season with the best league performance.
In the 19th Century, there were unofficial championships held between the winners of the National League and the American Association. However, the World Series as we know it began in 1903, with an interleague exhibition between the American and National Leagues held for the first time.
From there, it became a series format and was used to decide the very best US baseball side. Over the years, there have been format and rule changes, as well as dynasties that have dominated the competition, including the New York Yankees, who are the most successful side with 27 titles.
The current defending champions are the LA Dodgers, having beaten the Toronto Blue Jays in 7 games in the 2025 World Series to claim back-to-back titles and their ninth overall.
Teams In The MLB World Series Championship
Every single MLB franchise is eligible to qualify for the World Series when the season begins. However, the teams that eventually claim one of the two spots are decided based on their regular-season and playoff performances and the results of the League Championship Series.
2026 Season Recap
It's been a great year for baseball across both leagues in MLB. Here's a recap of 2026 in MLB, including the teams to qualify for the postseason and some of the biggest milestones of the year.
*(DW) Divisional Winner (WC) Wild Card
American League Qualified Teams
Tampa Bay Rays (DW)
Cleveland Guardians (DW)
Houston Astros (DW)
New York Yankees (WC)
Boston Red Sox (WC)
Chicago White Sox (WC)
National League Qualified Teams
Milwaukee Brewers (DW)
Los Angeles Dodgers (DW)
Atlanta Braves (DW)
San Diego Padres (WC)
Chicago Cubs (WC)
Philadelphia Phillies (WC)
Milestones and Records
Pete Alonso becomes the first player to win an RBI title in both leagues
Cristopher Sánchez and Sonny Gray top cross-league pitching charts with 18 wins each
Yordan Alvarez registers the highest batting average and on-base plus slugging for both leagues
Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Schwarber share the MLB home run lead with 45 each
Jacob Misiorowski leads the Majors in both ERA and strikeouts
American League wins the All-Star Game 4-0 in Philadelphia
2026 Postseason Results
Wild Card Series: Yankees beat Red Sox (2-0), White Sox beat Astros (2-0), Padres beat Cubs (2-0), Braves beat Phillies (2-1)
Division Series: Rays beat Yankees (3-0), Guardians beat White Sox (3-2), Brewers beat Padres (3-1), Dodgers beat Braves (3-1)
ALCS: Tampa Bay Rays beat Cleveland Guardians (4-2)
NLCS: Milwaukee Brewers beat LA Dodgers (4-0)
Previous World Series Champions and Notable Teams
This year, the World Series will crown a first-time champion. The Milwaukee Brewers swept the two-time defending champion Dodgers in the NLCS, while the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians to win the American League pennant. The Brewers finished with the best record in baseball at 103-59, and the Rays topped the American League at 98-64.
Looking at the last ten winners and losers of the World Series, we can see that some big names won't be involved in this year's edition:
2025: LA Dodgers 4 - 3 Toronto Blue Jays
2024: LA Dodgers 4 - 1 New York Yankees
2023: Texas Rangers 4 - 1 Arizona Diamondbacks
2022: Houston Astros 4 - 2 Philadelphia Phillies
2021: Atlanta Braves 4 - 2 Houston Astros
2020: LA Dodgers 4 - 2 Tampa Bay Rays
2019: Washington Nationals 4 - 3 Houston Astros
2018: Boston Red Sox 4 - 1 LA Dodgers
2017: Houston Astros 4 - 3 LA Dodgers
2016: Chicago Cubs 4 - 3 Cleveland Indians
Format & Schedule of the MLB World Series Championship 2026
The MLB postseason began on September 29 with the Wild Card games and will run all the way until the World Series decides the overall winner, beginning on October 23.
The Wild Card Series is the first round of games, where the six wild cards and two worst-performing divisional winners face off, before the winners enter the Division Series and League Championship Series to decide who receives their league's pennant and enters the World Series.
From October 23, the seven-game World Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays will begin, with games scheduled until October 31, unless one side reaches four wins by an earlier date. The Brewers have home-field advantage thanks to their better regular-season record, hosting Games 1, 2, 6 and 7, while the Rays host Games 3, 4 and 5.
How to Bet on MLB & Baseball Bet Types
All you need to bet on MLB at Stake.com is an account with funds in it. You can then select baseball from the list of sports, and choose MLB from the baseball markets. If you're new to placing bets on the MLB, you can check out our sports betting guide and baseball betting guide for more information.
Once you have learned how to bet on baseball, you can place a total (Incl. Extra Innings): which sees you guessing how many innings you think will happen in a game. You can often place Over/Under picks, too, where you don't have to get the exact number right - it just has to be higher or lower than your selected number. Here are a few more bet types:
Runs
Handicap (Incl. Extra Innings)
Winner & Total (Incl. Extra Innings)
1st Inning – 1x2
1st Inning – Total
Game props
Player props
Live Stream the MLB World Series Championship & Live Baseball Betting
You can watch live baseball action right here on our platform, including the MLB regular season and playoffs. If you want to watch live MLB, you can find out more in our streaming guide, including how to find eligible fixtures in our live events and upcoming fixtures, including looking for the live streaming logo next to fixtures.
You can also gamble in-play on live sports betting events, watching as the action unfolds and placing up-to-the-minute bets. For more information, check out our guide on the differences between live and pre-match betting.
MLB Betting Odds & Payouts
You can see all the odds in our popular markets in the format of your choice, including American odds, fractional odds, and decimal odds, and you can learn the difference in our odds format guide. If you're new to understanding what these odds mean and to calculate your potential payouts, check out our odds reading guide.
When you’re ready to place a baseball bet at Stake, log in with a secure method and deposit and withdraw units using either a local currency or one of our accepted cryptocurrencies.
Baseball Betting Tips, Predictions & Strategies
There are no guarantees in sports betting, especially in a sport like baseball that can be highly unpredictable. However, we've come up with a number of tips and tricks to use:
Strategise: Use a sportsbook strategy like the Kelly Criterion for bankroll management.
Stats: Look at the stats; while a previous winner might have a slight edge, they may have a poor record on the road against particular sides and affect your World Series 2026 expert picks.
Stay updated: Check out MLB news and see who is available to play - an injury or suspension could throw a spanner in the works.
Stake Sportsbook Promotions, VIP Club, & Responsible Betting
There are some great sportsbook promotions that you can use to make your bankroll go further, including rakebacks and reloads. Our MLB 9th Inning Refund can also refund your bet if your team is leading at the start of the 9th inning but doesn't go on to win, so check the promotion dates and full terms before betting. Additionally, you may also be eligible for our VIP Club, a program that rewards loyalty by delivering different reward levels based on your staking history. You could even get your own VIP host. For more information, please see our VIP FAQs.
Always make sure to gamble responsibly and bet within your means. Our Stake Smart guidelines can give you information on how to stay in control, while our monthly budget calculator and betting limit guide are two great tools to help support you in establishing healthier gambling habits.