ESPN

Mar 26, 2024, 09:11 AM ET

There are betting opportunities galore with baseball season upon us, especially when it comes to the vast array of futures out there for your wagering pleasure. Be it which team is going to win it all in the fall or which players get to take home the hardware for top individual honors, there is likely to be a prop of some sort for your consideration.

Without further ado, here are our best bets from Tyler Fulghum, David Schoenfield, Eric Karabell, Derek Carty and Tristan H. Cockcroft.

All odds courtesy of ESPN BET.

Team picks to ponder

What's your best value pick to win the World Series, beyond the current favorites (Dodgers, Braves, Astros, Yankees)?

Phillies +1500: The Phillies are stronger than they were a season ago, when they just missed a second consecutive World Series appearance. They have Atlanta's number in the playoffs. It is not great value, but only two NL teams have better odds. -- Karabell
Phillies +1500: I would love to say the Orioles because of their overall talent, but their price is a bit too steep for me. I agree with Karabell. The Phillies have been there before, have a loaded lineup, a deep staff and a flame-throwing bullpen. -- Fulghum
Orioles +1200: They're the very next one listed after the favorites, but I consider them a favorite, too, between their young, well-rounded offense and prospect excess to make necessary in-season moves to push them over the top. -- Cockcroft
Rays +3000. This market appears to be very efficiently priced. Surprisingly, there does appear to be a lot of value on the Braves at +550, implying a 15% chance to win while my projection system (THE BAT X) puts them at 25%. Outside of the main teams, though, the only one that might be worth betting for me is the Rays with an implied 3% chance to win and a projected 4% chance. That's a small edge, though. It feels weird to recommend a favorite, but the Braves really do look like the best value on the board. -- Carty

Is there any team you're looking at as a surprise division winner?

Tigers +350, Cardinals +190: The Tigers finished second in the AL Central last season and, as the young pitching develops, things should look better in Detroit. The Cardinals have stabilized their pitching with older folks. Both Central divisions are up for grabs. -- Karabell
Reds +360: It may require only 85 wins to take the NL Central this year. The Reds have a young, exciting lineup and a surprisingly deep rotation of talented arms. The bullpen remains a huge question mark. If they can fortify that group, they could be a playoff team this season. -- Fulghum
Reds +360, Tigers +350: Echoing Eric, the Central divisions are typically very much up for grabs, with only the Twins projected for more than 85 wins this season. The up-and-coming Reds are loaded with high-upside youngsters who could push them over the top, while people are sleeping on the Tigers' pitching talent. -- Cockcroft
Rays +600: The odds on these markets basically match the World Series odds proportionally, so I'm seeing the same value here. Even at -275, the Braves are showing legitimate value to win the NL East, while the Rays at +600 to win the AL East imply a 14% chance compared to a 22% chance projected by THE BAT X. -- Carty

What teams are definite over/under picks for you in terms of their win totals?

Athletics OVER 57.5 (-135). This is your classic "the market is treating a bad team as worse than they are" scenario. Nobody wants to bet the over on the A's. They're terrible. Everyone knows this. And so books can get away with inflating the line a bit, which creates opportunity for sharp bettors. This is the lowest win total of any MLB team by three full wins, but THE BAT X projects both the Nationals and Rockies to be worse. A 69-win projection is still very bad, but it's also 12 wins above the book's line. Smash it. -- Carty

Who's getting the hardware?

Who do you like for value in the races for AL and NL MVP?

Who do you like for value to bring home the Cy Young in either the AL or NL?

What newcomers are you looking at for top rookie honors in either league?

Potential player props

What are your favorite individual player props for 2024?