- After a Mets/Braves doubleheader on Monday morning, the 12-team MLB postseason field is finally set
- The AL Wild Card series are Royals vs Orioles and Tigers vs Astros, while the NL features Braves vs Padres and Mets vs Brewers
- See the opening odds for all four 2024 Wild Card series
It took an extra day but the field is finally set for the 2024 MLB playoffs. In the AL, the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians earned the top two seeds and byes to the ALDS. In the NL, the LA Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies earned the byes.
That leaves the Kansas City Royals vs Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers vs Houston Astros it out in the AL Wild Card round, and the Atlanta Braves vs San Diego Padres and New York Mets vs Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card.
The best-of-three Wild Card series will run from Tuesday, Oct. 1, to Thursday, Oct. 3, with the better-seeded team hosting all the games. The table below lists the opening odds for all four Wild Card series.
MLB Wild Card Series Odds 2024
| Team (Seed) | Odds | Total Games |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Royals (5) | +154 | O 2.5 (-115) |
| Baltimore Orioles (4) | -184 | U 2.5 (-105) |
| Team | Odds | Spread |
| Detroit Tigers (6) | +144 | O 2.5 (-112) |
| Houston Astros (3) | -174 | U 2.5 (-108) |
| Team | Odds | Spread |
| Atlanta Braves (5) | +104 | O 2.5 (-110) |
| San Diego Padres (4) | -122 | U 2.5 (-110) |
| Team | Odds | Spread |
| New York Mets (6) | +108 | O 2.5 (-110) |
| Milwaukee Brewers (3) | -130 | U 2.5 (-110) |
The MLB odds show the home team is favored in all four series. Since the MLB adopted the 12-team playoff format in 2022, home teams are just 3-5 in the Wild Card round and only one of those eight series went the full three games. Last year, all four best-of-three Wild Card series were decided in the minimum two games.
The 2024 Wild Card round was also very low scoring, averaging just 5.9 runs per game. Not one game hit double double-digit runs.
Odds as of Sep. 30 at ESPN Bet & FanDuel. Claim an ESPN Bet promo to wager on the 2024 MLB playoffs.
Biggest Wild Card Favorite: Orioles (-184) Over Royals
The biggest favorite of the first round is the Baltimore Orioles laying -184 odds to advance past the Kansas City Royals at Camden Yards. The O’s have the luxury of trotting out former NL Cy Young-winner Corbin Burnes in Game 1 of their series, an option they didn’t have last year when they were swept by the Texas Rangers in the ALDS.
Altogether, dating back to 2014, the Orioles have lost eight. straight postseason games.
Kansas City is making its first postseason appearance since 2015, when they won the World Series – one season after falling a game short against the Giants in the 2014 Fall Classic.
The Royals finished tied with the Astros for second in the AL in run differential at +91. Only the Yankees (+141) were better.
The Orioles took the regular-season series from the Royals 4-2, though the teams haven’t seen each other since April.
Narrowest Wild Card Odds: Braves vs Padres (-122)
All four series feature relatively narrow lines, but the Atlanta Braves vs San Diego Padres is the closest. San Diego is given a slight -122 edge at home with the Braves coming back as +104 road underdogs.
In part due to a rash of significant injuries, Atlanta vastly underperformed compared to expectations this season. The Braves needed to win the second leg of a Monday doubleheader with the Mets just to pip Arizona for the final NL playoff spot.
San Diego won four of seven against Atlanta in the regular season but the Braves took two of the last three, which also happened to be at Petco Park in San Diego.
The MLB Wild-Card Series is set to kick off with some exciting matchups, and the initial odds have been released for the opening matches. This year’s Wild-Card Series will feature a best-of-three format, with the higher seed hosting all three games at their home ballpark.
In the American League, the New York Yankees are set to take on the Toronto Blue Jays in what promises to be a thrilling series. The Yankees, who finished the regular season with a record of 33-27, are the favorites in this matchup with odds of -150. The Blue Jays, who finished with a record of 32-28, are the underdogs with odds of +130.
Over in the National League, the Chicago Cubs will face off against the Miami Marlins in another exciting series. The Cubs, who finished the regular season with a record of 34-26, are the favorites in this matchup with odds of -140. The Marlins, who finished with a record of 31-29, are the underdogs with odds of +120.
These initial odds give fans a glimpse into how oddsmakers view each team’s chances of advancing to the next round of the playoffs. However, as we all know, anything can happen in baseball, and these matchups are sure to provide plenty of excitement and drama for fans watching at home.
So, whether you’re rooting for the favorites or hoping for an underdog upset, be sure to tune in to the MLB Wild-Card Series to see which teams will come out on top and advance to the next round of the playoffs. It’s sure to be a wild ride!
