The heavy hitters: Spotlight on the 2025 MLB favourites

Major League Baseball (MLB) is gearing up to officially kick off in late March, 2025. You have a chance to predict the future when you place your outright bets for the winners of every conference at Sportsbet.io. Unsure who to root for this season? Check out the top favourites of this 2025 season right here.

The favourites are simply the teams with the best chances to win. Sportsbet.io reflects these through competitive odds, available on the MLB outright betting page. Understanding these favourites is crucial in setting your expectations as a bettor. Learn how to identify the favourite in baseball betting with this guide.

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Pre-Season Thriller: Dodgers vs Cubs in Tokyo 18-19 March

Get ready for an exciting showdown between the Los Angeles Dodgers vs Chicago Cubs in the MLB Tokyo series at the Tokyo Dome on March 18th and 19th. This two-game event will feature two of the MLB strongest teams, welcoming the 2025 regular season which kicks off on March 27th.

The Dodgers will showcase Japan’s Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto while the Cubs will present Shota Imanaga and Sieya Suzuki. It will be a game for the ages with four of the world’s top Japanese baseball talents facing off in their home country. Not only that, but they are heralding two of Major League Baseball’s strongest teams of the 2025 season.

Don’t miss this epic rivalry between the 2024 defending champions and one of the most consistent title contenders in the MLB. Watch their matches to see what else is in store for you in the 2025 season.

MLB Season Overview

The MLB 2025 regular season will begin on March 27th but there are several matches to look forward to. Check out the exhibition matches on March 25th:

For the regular season, here is a quick overview of the 27th of March MLB opening game schedule:

These fixtures are arranged in order from start to finish of opening day. It only consists of 28 out of 30 teams in the MLB. All teams were originally going to celebrate the opening day but the game between the Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays had to be moved back a day to prepare the George M Steinbrenner Field.

What constitutes a favourite in the MLB?

A favourite in a head-to-head is whoever has the better chance of winning. For outrights, it’s whichever team has the best shot at the title. Both cases are affected by the same set of factors. These are some of the most impactful ones in MLB betting:

• They have a talent-packed roster: Whenever you look at teams and determine their status among the MLB, the most talented rosters usually have a leg up compared to others. A more stacked roster makes for a team with longevity and higher ceilings. For example, the Los Angeles Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani, one of the best MLB pitchers.
• The team has a winning culture: A winning culture can be seen in how a team is managed. They foster confidence and focus on continuous improvement in training, they make the right decisions in a transfer, and they have insights to share after every match. One such manager is Craig Counsell of the Chicago Cubs who fosters a winning mindset while adapting to challenges like field conditions to maintain strong performances.
• Top-tier coaches help the team: A top-tier coach is someone who has a record of consistently bringing their team to high positions in their respective conferences. One of the easiest examples of this factor is Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees. He’s managed the team since 2018 and guided them to the 2024 American League Pennant.

The best teams to look out for in the regular season

There are 30 teams competing in the MLB but five of them stand out as this season’s favourites. Here are the top teams with the strongest chances to win the title based on Sportsbet.io’s outright odds:

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers are easily the favourite of the 2025 season as the reigning 2024 World Series champions. Key players include Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts in full swing for opening day. Adding to their firepower, the team signed Blake Snell and Teoscar Hernández also signed with the team starting this season for $182 million and $66 million deals respectively, making them even more formidable.

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Clubs is prepared for a strong season, with Kyle Tucker, Dansby Swanson, and Seiya Suzuki in their opening-day starting lineup. Pitchers Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon are set to lead the rotation. Free-agent addition Colin Rea is also front runner for the starting lineup while amateur draft Ian Happ has secured the left field position.

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are poised for an impressive season with a strong offensive lineup. Rising star Jasson Domínguez is set to take the leadoff spot. They also have Anthony Volpe who took 76 starts in 2024 in that position. Manager Aaron Boone placed Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr in the middle of his batting order to deliver an extra thump.

Atlanta Braves

Jurickson Profar takes the leadoff spot to set the pace for the offence, followed by power hitters Austin Riley and Marcell Ozuna. Spencer Strider is notably missing in the Braves’ reported lineups but is expected to return in April. The Cy Young Award favourite was key to the team’s success in 2024 and fans look forward to his further appearances.

Houston Astros

The Houston Astros are also poised to be among the favourites of the 2025 season with a solid lineup led by Jose Altuve, Isaac Paredes, and Yordan Alvarez. Their rotation is equally impressive, featuring the iconic duo Rambler Valdez and Hunter Brown. Returning pitchers Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti, who were the team’s powerhouses in 2024, add more depth to their roster.

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Potential upsets/underdogs to look out for

While it’s early to make definitive predictions, there are several teams with a shot to beat the Major League’s strongest team. Keep an eye on these underdog teams who could surprise everyone:

Athletics

The Athletics recently had key acquisitions like Luis Severino and Gio Urshela to strengthen the team’s pitching lineups. They also have a solid batting lineup with emerging talents like Mason Miller and Brent Rooker. Add Lawrence Butler in the mix and they have a frightening set of eager young talents.

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are in a tough position as they’re playing against the Dodgers right off the bat. However, there are no push-overs with Gleyber Torres joining the team, who can provide both offensive and defensive boosts. They also have a motivation to finish stronger than their 2024 performance.

What kind of bets can you make on favourites in an MLB season?

Sportsbet.io offers plenty of betting markets for you to choose from. You can also hedge your bet or try different betting systems for more chances of winning. Betting markets you can find in the MLB 2025 season on Sportsbet.io are as follows:

• Outright winner: Predict who among the teams is going to win their respective divisions in the regular season. You can bet on the World Series later when the qualified roster is set.
• Match winner: This is a straightforward bet. Simply predict which of the two competing teams will win a fixture. There is a handicap version where one side is given an artificial advantage. Bets on the underdog win as long as the point differential is within the artificial scores but bets on the favourite only win if they can exceed it.
• Total over/under innings or score: A professional MLB match plays for only 9 innings but ties happen often. The match extends to extra innings to determine the winner and you can bet if there will be more (over wins) or less (under wins) of it than a number. You can also make over/under bets on the total scores for each or across all innings.

Sportsbet.io has a flexible bookmaker with lots of features for desktop and mobile users. Feel free to bet however you wish, even using betting strategies. Check out this guide on the Pythagorean winning rate for MLB sports betting.

Gear up for the MLB 2025 season with Sportsbet.io

Sportsbet.io offers a flexible MLB betting experience thanks to its robust bet slip features. You can explore your options in single and multi-betting while also enjoying promotions to raise your bankroll. Use free bets from bonus rewards to take rewarding underdog bets at the most prestigious baseball event worldwide to winning crypto payouts.

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