SportsLine expert Angelo "Amags" Magliocca has looked at the 2026 season from all angles and has his top plays for betting on the World Series champion
By James Holliman Mar 19, 2026 at 3:16 pm ET • 10 min read
Imagn Images The optimism of spring training will start giving way to reality when the 2026 MLB regular season starts Wednesday, March 25. The New York Yankees visit the San Francisco Giants to get things started before 2026 Opening Day brings a full slate on Thursday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the clear +230 favorites to win the World Series at DraftKings Sportsbook, followed by the Yankees (+1000), Seattle Mariners (+1200) and New York Mets (+1300). SportsLine expert Angelo Magliocca has highlighted his best bet, longshot worth backing and one team to avoid in each league to win the Fall Classic.
Magliocca, also known as "Amags" is a hugely profitable MLB capper who uses his deep knowledge of baseball to find value on player props, sides and totals. He is coming off another strong season at SportsLine. Over the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 MLB seasons, Amags is up 133.4 units on straight bets and parlays while winning an additional 25.3 units on ladder plays.
Here's a look at his picks and analysis of World Series futures for the AL and NL in 2026:
Bet on MLB futures and more at bet365:
AL best bet: Mariners (+1200)
With one of the best starting rotations and bullpens in baseball, the Mariners are a ticket I want to have in my pocket to win it all this year. Cal Raleigh will need to somewhat replicate the incredible year he had in 2025 to keep this offense on track, but Julio Rodriguez looks set to take a step forward after a near-six WAR season that saw him start off slow.
Rodriguez has been one of the brightest young stars for a few years, but this may be the year he takes a major step forward. After participating in the WBC for the Dominican Republic and enjoying a stellar second half last year where he slugged 21 home runs compared to just 11 in the first half, Rodriguez looks to be on pace to get out of the gate much better than he did last year.
The rest of the lineup features Josh Naylor, Randy Arozarena and newcomer Brendan Donovan, all of whom should make strong impacts offensively. Donovan came over in an offseason trade and should lead off for the Mariners, bringing great plate discipline with just a 13% K rate last year, something this lineup has struggled with.
At the back end of the bullpen, Seattle possesses some of the best talent in the game, with Andres Munoz, Eduard Bazardo, Gabe Speier and Matt Brash. Each is well-equipped to pitch in high-leverage situations. The Mariners should be able to win their division with relative ease, as I see the Rangers and Astros fighting for second but being a good step behind the Mariners. At the current price, this is my favorite play for a World Series winner in the AL.
NL best bet: Atlanta Braves (+1800)
Three NL teams have better odds on the board than the Braves to win the World Series; the Dodgers, Mets and Phillies. Those teams are sure to be powerhouses but the Braves seem underrated right now, so I have a ticket on them to win the NL East, as well as the World Series.
Adding the NL saves leader from last year, Robert Suarez, is a massive improvement for the bullpen, and one that should help this pitching staff shorten games with ease. The bullpen also features Raisel Iglesias and Aaron Bummer, both solid arms with upside, and Joel Payamps is just one year removed from a 3.05 ERA for the Brewers in 60 innings of relief.
Chris Sale is back healthy and if not for a freak rib injury last year, he could have been on his way to another Cy Young Award. Speaking of health, Spencer Strider is also back healthy and even though the fastball velocity has dipped last year and this spring, I think as he gets further away from that UCL surgery, he'll move closer to being his old self than we've seen.
Spencer Schwellenbach will miss a portion of the season but could come back and make a difference later this year, while Grant Holmes has filled in admirably already this spring, looking dominant in multiple outings. The rotation does thin out after Sale and Strider, but Holmes, Reynaldo Lopez and Bryce Elder are not bad options until the reinforcements arrive.
The lineup also gets Ronald Acuna Jr back healthy for a full season and even though Jurickson Profar will miss the entire year, I don't think the lineup skips a beat. Youngster Drake Baldwin posted a 3+ WAR season with an .810 OPS, and I think there's room for growth in his game which should be exciting to watch.
Matt Olson is always a steady force in the middle of the order, and a healthy Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies should be a massive boost to a lineup that really missed them during the injuries last year.
AL longshot: Tigers (+2800)
The addition of Framber Valdez is one that impacts the outlook of the Detroit Tigers more than some would think, as one of their main issues last year was the lack of depth in the starting rotation. Adding a front-line starter like Valdez gives the Tigers a much better shot at winning a longer playoff series, rather than relying on Tarik Skubal to carry the load. In what was seen as a year filled with regression for the former Astros lefty, Valdez still nearly threw 200 innings and had a 3.66 ERA with 187 strikeouts in that span. Those numbers will definitely play and in this lackluster NL Central, he could see a bump back towards the 2.91 ERA he featured in 2024.
Justin Verlander was added as the No. 4 starter, a great depth piece since I believe he still has a little bit left in the tank, and Jack Flaherty is only one year removed from the 3.17 ERA he posted over 160+ innings. The Tigers signed Kenley Jansen to be the closer, which isn't my favorite move but things could be much worse at the back end of the bullpen for them and they'll get Jackson Jobe back sometime in the middle of the season. Depending on how well the rotation is doing by then, Jobe could become a high-leverage reliever who has incredible stuff and would be a great piece to help shorten games.
The lineup hasn't changed much from last year but Spencer Torkelson has legit MVP upside as does Riley Greene, and the development of Colt Keith, Kerry Carpenter and Zack McKinstry has been great for this lineup. Gleyber Torres brings a steady veteran presence and top prospect Kevin McGonigle is at least nearing the start of his MLB career, even if he doesn't make the team out of camp.
NL longshot: Cubs (+2000)
This might not look like the traditional "longshot," but the list of National League teams that have a real shot at competing in October thins out quickly. The Cubs have the fifth-longest World Series odds in the NL, but they're the current favorite to win the NL Central and I don't see them having too tough of a time getting that done.
With the NL East being a battle among the Braves, Mets and Phillies, the Cubs could walk into the postseason with a bye as one of the top two division winners. If that happens, they'd be well positioned to get to the NLCS, where they'd probably be facing the Dodgers as a major challenge. But it's a challenge I think they're up for after bringing in Alex Bregman this offseason to man third base and adding starting pitcher Edward Cabrera as well as Dylan Carlson and Michael Conforto for lineup depth. Chicago also has fortified the bullpen with four new arms that all have upside to pitch in the mid to low 3's for ERA. The Cubs also have one of the best closers in all of baseball in Daniel Palencia, who we saw dominate in the WBC this past week.
Shota Imanaga is back healthy after spending some time on the shelf last year, youngster Cade Horton is poised to take another step forward as he gets a full-time role in the starting rotation and Justin Steele will return at some point. Steele is a name I think many people are forgetting about and if he can return to the form he was post-Tommy John surgery, this rotation and bullpen are set up to be scary for opposing offenses.
AL fade: Yankees (+1000)
In the end, the Yankees might have the best lineup in the American League and one of the best pitching staffs as well but at the current odds, I don't see any value in betting them to win the World Series.
They re-signed Cody Bellinger, but not much else was done to make an impact in the lineup, and starting the season without Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt or Anthony Volpe is not a great outlook to begin the year. Funny enough, the lineup might be better with Jose Caballero at shortstop instead of Volpe but the pitching staff is certainly going to miss Cole, Rodon and Schmidt for the early part of the year.
If Ryan Weather, Will Warren and Luis Gil can pick up the slack, then they'll be fine but even if that happens, I'm not seeing this number get drastically worse all that quickly. You'll likely have time to get on the Yankees to win the World Series at a similar or better price during the season and with the AL East looking like it'll be the most competitive division in baseball, there's no reason to bet the Yankees at this point to win it all.
The Red Sox improved a good bit by signing Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras. The Blue Jays lost Bo Bichette but retained most everyone else from their lineup, while adding Dylan Cease who has ace upside, Cody Ponce a starter from the KBO and Tyler Rogers to the bullpen.
New York did lose Chris Bassitt and Seranthony Dominguez, but those additions I just mentioned should help cover any holes. And the Orioles are one of my main bounce-back candidates after adding Pete Alonso, Taylor Ward, Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt. All of those teams should be competitive and give the Yankees issues in the AL East, so I'm fading them at this price.
NL fade: Phillies (+1600)
With ace Zack Wheeler on the shelf for at least a month and question marks surrounding his ability to stay healthy after surgery, there is a major void at the front of the rotation. It's an issue the Phillies have not felt in many years.
Christopher Sanchez turned in a career year in 2025, going 13-5 across 32 starts and eating up 200+ innings while producing a stellar 2.25 ERA. Sanchez is the easy choice to take the place of Wheeler atop the rotation, but Jesus Luzardo also turned in a career year in Philly and could be considered for the No. 1 position as well.
Some of the underlying metrics for Luzardo point to regression, though, and behind him are an aging Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker, along with rookie Andrew Painter, who will look to replace Ranger Suarez, who also had a career year in 2025. Losing Suarez from the rotation is tough and the story with aging isn't isolated to a couple of starting pitchers in this rotation.
The Phillies will feature one of MLB's oldest lineups by average age, with Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Adolis Garcia, and JT Realmuto all 32 or older. Injuries are undoubtedly on the horizon as these guys continue getting older, and one or two injuries in this lineup, even for a short period of time, could be devastating in a highly competitive NL East.
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