MLB 2026 Picks & Predictions

Major League Baseball 2026 Postseason - MLB odds and picks at Stake Sportsbook

With 162 games in the books, it’s time for the MLB postseason. Six teams from both the National League and American League have survived the marathon that is the MLB regular season. Now both are ready to begin the sprint that is the postseason. The Los Angeles Dodgers enter the playoffs as the two-time defending champions, but there are 11 other teams hoping to knock them off their pedestal.

Stake is among the top platforms for betting on baseball during both the regular season and the postseason. Read on to learn more about MLB format and structure, 2026 brackets and picks, key dates and available betting markets at Stake Sportsbook.

What is the MLB?

Baseball is America’s pastime, and it’s been played professionally since 1876, with the creation of the National League. In 1903, the National League and the American League combined to create Major League Baseball. Since then, the culmination of every MLB season has been the World Series, a best-of-seven series that decides the best team.

Format and Structure

MLB currently has 30 baseball teams. There are 15 in the National League and 15 in the American League. Each league is split into three divisions of five teams each. During the regular season, each team plays 162 games. The 6 division winners and the top 3 non-division winners from each league qualify for the playoffs.

In each league, the three wild-card sides face off against each other and the lowest-performing division winner in the Wild Card Series. The winners of these fixtures will then face off against the two best division winners in the Division Series. Those two teams compete for a pennant in the Championship Series. The two League Championship Series winners play in the World Series.

The World Series is a best-of-seven series between the American League and National League champions.

History of MLB

MLB is the oldest major professional sports league in North America and the pinnacle of baseball in the US. Baseball expanded across the US during the 1860s as soldiers played the game in camps during the Civil War. The National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP) was founded. By 1867, it included more than 400 clubs, many based in the Northeastern United States.

The first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, was founded in 1869. However, the first professional league wasn't established until 1876. The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs allowed professional teams to enforce player contracts. It required teams to play their full schedule rather than forfeit games once they were no longer in championship contention. Eventually, the league became known as the National League.

The early years of professional baseball were difficult, with player rebellions and threats from rival leagues. This included the formation of the American League, which led to multiple legal disputes over player contracts.

However, in 1901, leaders of the National League and American League agreed to cooperate. The first-ever World Series, featuring the American League champions versus the National League champions, was held in 1903.

Past World Series Winners

25 different teams have won the World Series, with the New York Yankees the most successful side with 27 wins. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the reigning champs, winning the title in both 2024 and 2025. They begin the 2026 postseason as the favourites to win the World Series for a third straight year. But since such a thing hasn’t happened in a quarter century, anything can happen this October.

Here are the winners and losers of the last 10 editions, with the winner listed first.

• 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

2026 MLB playoffs - the road to the World Series

The 2026 MLB postseason will feature 12 teams, all trying to survive the four-round playoffs, including the World Series, which is set to begin on October 23. First, there is the Wild Card Round, a best-of-3 series. Next is the Divisional Round, a best-of-5 series. Then comes the League Championship Series, a best-of-7 series. Finally, the ALCS/NLCS winners meet in the World Series, which is also a best-of-7 series.

Two teams from each league will get a bye in the first round, making the road a little easier. In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians earned a bye. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers have a bye in the National League. With the bye, those teams have better World Series odds than the teams that first need to survive the Wild Card Round. Of course, there are a lot of eyes on the Dodgers, who are seeking their third consecutive championship. No team has done that since the Yankees from 1998 to 2000.

2026 MLB playoff bracket and picks

The 2026 MLB playoff bracket is set, meaning each team knows the path it must traverse to reach the World Series.

American League - teams, matchups, and predictions

The American League has 2 sides to its bracket, with one side made up entirely of AL East teams. In the Wild Card Round, the Yankees will face the rival Red Sox, as they are the 2 best Wild Card teams. The winner will take on the Rays, who won the AL East and earned the top seed in the American League. On the other side of the bracket, the Houston Astros are set to host the Chicago White Sox in the Wild Card Round. This series is a rematch of the 2005 World Series when the Astros were still in the National League. The winner of that series will face the Cleveland Guardians.

There will be tons of attention on the Yankees-Red Sox series, as these teams are bitter rivals. The Yankees finished with a better regular-season record. But with Aaron Judge’s injury and Boston’s strong second-half season, we predict the Red Sox to advance. In the other Wild Card series, we predict the White Sox will advance over the Astros. Houston barely made the playoffs after finishing with a .500 record. When all is said and done, we predict Boston’s second-half momentum will propel the Red to the World Series.

National League - teams, matchups, and predictions

In the National League, the San Diego Padres earned the top Wild Card spot. They will host the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card Round. The winner of that series will face the Brewers, who are the top seed in the National League. Meanwhile, the Dodgers await the winner of the series between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

The Cubs-Padres series looks to be evenly matched. However, the Padres picked up momentum late in the season. This allowed them to overtake the Cubs and earn home-field advantage in the Wild Card Round. With home-field advantage and a good bullpen, we predict San Diego to advance. Likewise, we predict the Braves will hold serve at home and advance past the Phillies. Philadelphia lost six of its last nine games and isn’t playing well ahead of the postseason. Of course, we still expect the Dodgers to advance to the World Series for the third straight year.

2026 World Series predictions - who wins it all?

The Brewers enter the postseason with the best record in baseball and home-field advantage throughout October. Currently, they have the second-shortest odds at +600. Of course, Milwaukee has never won a World Series before. Even when they have good teams, the Brewers always seem to melt down in the postseason after a strong regular season. They are hoping the experience of making the playoffs in 8 of the last 9 seasons will help. Milwaukee might finally be due for postseason success, especially with home-field advantage.

Meanwhile, all eyes are on a potential Los Angeles Dodgers three-peat. The Dodgers haven’t been the best team in baseball during the regular season. But they always seem to play their best during the playoffs. This is why Los Angeles enters the postseason as the clear favourite with +200 odds.

While the Dodgers and Brewers are the leading favourites, American League teams have a chance to win the World Series. Among AL teams, the Rays have the shortest odds at +800, followed by the Yankees at +850. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are considered more of a dark horse at +1400. The Guardians are almost an afterthought at +1600 despite having a bye.

Looking at the field of 12, most of this year’s postseason participants have a genuine chance to win the World Series. However, the Dodgers are our pick heading into the playoffs. Talent-wise, the Los Angeles roster is the best, and combined with the team’s playoff experience, that should be enough to carry the Dodgers to another championship.

Finally, if you look at Stake’s baseball betting odds, the San Diego Padres offer the most value at +2200. San Diego’s season has had ups and downs, but the Padres seem to be peaking at the right time. They also have a bullpen that can dominate opposing lineups and lead San Diego to an unlikely title.

2026 MLB postseason schedule - key dates

The MLB postseason gets underway on Tuesday, September 29. The table below shows the key dates for each round. Make you come back to Stake’s baseball blog before each round for updated analysis and World Series predictions.

Types of Bets & How to Bet on Baseball

Betting on the 2026 MLB season at Stake is easy. All you need to do is create an account and make sure you have funds. From there, select baseball from the list of sports and get started.

If you’re new to placing baseball bets, you can learn how to bet on baseball in our guides, including our sports betting basics.

Once you’re ready to get started, there are a few types of MLB odds to keep in mind. There are betting lines for individual games, as well as futures bets based on win totals, division winners, and the World Series champion.

Here are some of the common types of baseball bets you can find at Stake:

• Winner/Moneyline Bet (Incl. Extra Innings)

• Totals Betting (Incl. Extra Innings)

• Handicap (Incl. Extra Innings)

• Winner & Total (Incl. Extra Innings)

• 1st Inning – 1x2

• 1st Inning – Total

• Multibet

• Game prop bets

• Player props

• Outright Bets

MLB playoffs betting tips

MLB betting during the postseason is a little different than during the regular season. The stakes are higher, the pressure is intense, and teams manage games differently. When making MLB postseason picks, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Pitching depth matters - The postseason has fewer games, which makes deep pitching staffs a huge asset. For instance, the Dodgers are led by starters like Blake Snell and Tarik Skubal. This lets them use their back-end starters in the bullpen, making their bullpen even stronger. Thus, Los Angeles has a talented rotation and a bullpen that’s better than it was during the regular season.

• Home-field advantage matters - With more animated fans, home-field advantage is key in the postseason. Plus, more time between games allows teams to set up their best pitchers to start home games.

• Beware the bye - Since MLB switched to its current postseason format, teams receiving a bye haven’t always gained an advantage. In fact, teams getting a bye are just 6-6 in the Division Series. This means the underdog in that series can offer unexpected value.

• Bet live in extra innings - If you watch playoff baseball, consider live betting if a game goes to extra innings. By watching the game, you can see momentum swings. You will also know which team has more of its high-end relievers still available. In extra innings, the team with the better bullpen has a distinct edge.

Live Baseball Betting & Free Online Live Streaming

Keep up with all the live baseball betting action right here at Stake, including the MLB regular season, playoffs, and the All-Star Game. Check out our live events and upcoming fixtures, and see which games are available to watch on our platform by looking for the live stream logo next to your chosen fixture.

If you’re new to streaming sports at Stake, check out our guide to free sports streaming before getting started. You can then place bets in-match, with our guide to live and pre-match betting covering everything you need to know about betting in-play.

Deposit & Withdrawal Methods for Betting on Baseball

Once you’re ready to bet on baseball at Stake, log in securely with a passkey . Make deposits and withdrawals using local currencies like Canadian Dollars or Turkish Lira.

Alternatively, you can deposit using one of our accepted cryptocurrencies. Stake offers Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other currencies.

The withdrawal process depends on the payment method you use. Bank transfers can take up to 3 business days, while crypto is instant.

Baseball Promotions, Stake VIP Benefits, & Responsible Betting

During the playoffs, don’t forget to check the Stake sports promotions. This includes our 9th-inning refund promo, which can refund your bet if the team you bet on leads at the start of the 9th inning but doesn’t win the game.

Stake also offers a VIP Club for frequent, loyal bettors. Members can enjoy perks like rakeback bonuses and reload bonuses, with access to a VIP host being among the benefits at certain levels.

Most importantly, remember to always play within your means. See our Stake Smart guidelines for information on staying in control.