2026 MLB Odds: 4 Futures Wagers to Make During Opening Week

After an incredible finish to 2025, culminating with one of the best World Series in baseball history, it’s exciting to see what the 2026 Major League Baseball season has in store for us. Will the Dodgers become the first team in over two decades to win three consecutive World Series? Will the Yankees win their first championship since 2009? In a long season that will take us until midway through the NFL regular season, let’s take a look at some bets to keep us company along the way. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Trevor Rogers wins leader The Orioles’ lefty was brilliant last year, posting a 1.81 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP, and striking out 103 batters to only 29 walks. Rogers was an All-Star early in his career with the Marlins, so his 2025 breakout can’t be dismissed, even if it was unexpected. He will serve as the ace for an Orioles team that is loaded with prolific bats and that also added Pete Alonso this winter. This means he should get plenty of run support. Staying healthy is a concern with any of these league-leader bets, but at 50-1, Rogers has the talent and the supporting cast to pile up a ton of wins. PICK: Trevor Rogers (+5000) wins leader St. Louis Cardinals Over/Under 69.5 wins The Cardinals are like the Pittsburgh Steelers in football — they’re always competitive, and always have a respectable team that’s in the mix for postseason play at the very least. That might change this year, as the Cardinals’ brass seems to be embracing a full rebuild. Matthew Liberatore is a solid pitcher, but he will start on Opening Day for the Red Birds and is followed in the rotation by a whole lot of question marks, such as Dustin May and Andre Pallante. The Cardinals don’t have much starting pitching and don’t look like they will score many runs, with a lineup that lacks any difference-makers at the plate. It’s weird to see them near the bottom of the standings, but that’s where I expect they will be by late summer. PICK: Cardinals Under 69.5 wins Shohei Ohtani NL MVP I admit, this isn’t very fun. But at this point, what does Ohtani have to do to not win MVP? He’s projected to hit around 50 home runs and is in the starting rotation for what’s expected to be the best team in baseball. Even during an off year, Ohtani hits, let’s say, 38 homers and wins 10 games on the mound. He’s one of the best hitters in baseball and one of the best pitchers, too, while playing for a first-place team. It’s going to be a season that is hard to top. Ohtani has won this award four times already, and, barring a serious injury, this year will be No. 5. PICK: Shohei Ohtani (-145) to win NL MVP Orioles-Mets World Series matchup The Dodgers are the rightful favorite to repeat in 2026, but they could have easily lost to the Blue Jays in the World Series. Back in 2024, they were facing elimination in the NLDS, down 2-1 to the Padres before winning that series. This is not a mere formality for the Dodgers, so let’s look elsewhere. The Mets have a loaded roster in a division where the other contenders, like the Phillies and Braves, might have missed their championship windows. They also have an owner that is ultra aggressive and won’t be shy about adding before the trade deadline. The Orioles, as I mentioned earlier, have a ton of talent and were a playoff team in 2023 and 2024 before injuries ravaged their 2025 season. It’s extremely difficult to predict in March what will happen in a short series come October. But at 86-1, the Mets and Orioles both have teams talented enough to make deep runs in the postseason. PICK: Orioles vs. Mets (+8600) World Series Matchup