2024 MLB division series round betting guide: Props, picks, futures

Todd Zola, FantasyOct 4, 2024, 08:38 AM ET

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- Writing on fantasy baseball game theory and player analysis since 1997
- Winner of the 2013 Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association Best Baseball Article

The 2024 MLB division series round is here, with four best-of-five showdowns ready to get going. In each series, Games 1, 2 and 5 (if necessary) will take place at the home stadium of the division winners that earned a bye into this round of the playoffs.

Check back every day to see the latest odds for each game as well as a few betting tips on some of the prop bets available to be made on each contest.

For more on the MLB playoffs, check out each team’s odds to win the World Series here.

All odds accurate as of publish time. Series odds reflect the lines as of the start of Game 1. For more, go to ESPN BET.

Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians

Series line: Tigers (+105), Guardians (-125)
Series result: Tigers sweep (+600), Tigers in 4 (+400), Tigers in 5 (+400)
Series result: Guardians sweep (+550), Guardians in 4 (+325), Guardians in 5 (+450)

Zola’s series pick: Playoff baseball is intriguing since runs are harder to come by, but the successful teams usually hit more homers. The Guardians’ offense is ideal for this scenario, and they manage their pitching as well as any team in the postseason. That said, they will face Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal in Game 2, so predicting a sweep is aggressive. So is anticipating the Guardians to sweep both games in Motown, but that’s where I am going, avoiding betting simply on the Guardians to defeat the Tigers and calling it in four games.

Game 1: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Saturday, Oct. 5, 1:08 p.m. ET (TBS)

Game 1 line: Tigers +1.5 (-175), Guardians -1.5 (+145)
Game 1 money line: Tigers +130, Guardians -155
Game 1 O/U: 7.5 runs, Over (+110)/Under (-130)

Game 2: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Monday, Oct. 7, 4:08 p.m. ET (TBS)

Game 3: Comerica Park, Detroit, Wednesday, Oct. 9, TBD, (TBS)

*Game 4: Comerica Park, Detroit, Thursday, Oct. 10, TBD, (TBS)

*Game 5: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Saturday, Oct. 12, TBD, (TBS)

New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Series line: Mets (+150), Phillies (-180)
Series result: Mets sweep (+900), Mets in 4 (+500), Mets in 5 (+550)
Series result: Phillies sweep (+425), Phillies in 4 (+300), Phillies in 5 (+280)

Zola’s series pick: The Phillies are one of the few teams with three solid starting pitchers, although their bullpen is suspect. The Phillies are favored over the Mets, and they are my choice to advance. The safe play is just picking the Phillies to win the series. I’m going to be more adventurous, however, and I will back the Phillies to win in four.

Game 1: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Saturday, Oct. 5, 4:08 p.m. ET (FOX)

Game 1 line: Mets +1.5 (-145), Phillies -1.5 (+120)
Game 1 money line: Mets +155, Phillies -185
Game 1 O/U: 7.5 runs, Over (+110)/Under (-130)

Game 2: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Sunday, Oct. 6, 4:08 p.m. ET (FS1)

Game 3: Citi Field, New York, Tuesday, Oct. 8, TBD, (FOX/FS1)

*Game 4: Citi Field, New York, Wednesday, Oct. 9, TBD, (FOX/FS1)

*Game 5: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Friday, Oct. 11, TBD, (FOX/FS1)

Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees

Series line: Royals (+170), Yankees (-210)
Series result: Royals sweep (+1300), Royals in 4 (+600), Royals in 5 (+500)
Series result: Yankees sweep (+360), Yankees in 4 (+250), Yankees in 5 (+320)

Zola’s series pick: Of the four divisional series, this is the toughest for me to handicap. The odds disagree as they have the Yankees as the heaviest favorites in this round. My issue is that the Yankees’ pitching, on paper, should be better than the Royals’, but there are a lot of question marks in the New York rotation while the Royals are healthy and in a groove. Yankees bats should be better than their counterparts, but they are fueled by homers and the Royals staff yielded the fewest long balls in MLB. For the second straight round, the Royals are my upset special. I’m taking them to win the series, but I am also hedging a bit by calling the series to go five games (+170).

Game 1: Yankee Stadium, New York, Saturday, Oct. 5, 6:38 p.m. ET (TBS)

Game 1 line: Royals +1.5 (-130), Yankees -1.5 (+110)
Game 1 money line: Royals +170, Yankees -205
Game 1 O/U: 7.5 runs, Over (-120)/Under (Even)

Game 2: Yankee Stadium, New York, Monday, Oct. 7, 7:38 p.m. ET (TBS)

Game 3: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Wednesday, Oct. 9, TBD, (TBS)

*Game 4: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Thursday, Oct. 10, TBD, (TBS)

*Game 5: Yankee Stadium, New York, Saturday, Oct. 12, TBD, (TBS)

San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers

Series line: Padres (+115), Dodgers (-135)
Series result: Padres sweep (+750), Padres in 4 (+425), Padres in 5 (+450)
Series result: Dodgers sweep (+500), Dodgers in 4 (+340), Dodgers in 5 (+320)

Zola’s series pick: The Dodgers and Padres opened the season in South Korea, and now they meet to decide who represents SoCal in the NLCS. The Dodgers finished five games ahead of the Padres in the NL West and are slight favorites. However, the Padres’ starting pitching is in much better shape, plus the San Diego bullpen is solid. Since the Padres are getting plus odds as the underdog, I’m taking the Padres to win the series while also picking them to defeat the Dodgers in four games.

Game 1: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, Saturday, Oct. 5, 8:38 p.m. ET (FS1)