For the first time since 1981, we have a Yankees vs Dodgers World Series. Two of the most storied franchises in MLB in the Fall Classic – it really doesn’t get any better than that.
Accordingly, our baseball experts could not wait until Game 1 on Friday and have come through with four early World Series predictions and bets.
Among their MLB picks and predictions for the World Series: Juan Soto player props, a long shot on the exact order of the series and a Game 1/series double.
2024 World Series Predictions
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
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  | 8:08 p.m. | |
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Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our MLB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
World Series Player Props: Most Hits
By Tony Sartori
There are multiple reasons why I want to target Juan Soto to lead the World Series in hits at 12/1.
First, this line is only this long because books are projecting the Dodgers to have a higher offensive output and ultimately win the series. But with that said, regardless of series outcome, Soto is arguably the best pure hitter between these two stacked teams.
This season, he ranked in the 99th percentile or higher in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, barrel rate and hard-hit rate. That success has continued into the postseason, which features his .333 BA through nine games.
While Los Angeles may be able to put up some power numbers, I am not as sold on the amount of times that they will reach base. We know that the first four Yankees starting pitchers we see in this series will be some order of Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil.
All four of those New York hurlers rank in the top third of the league in xBA. Meanwhile, there are more question marks with the Dodgers rotation and their use of bullpen games.
The pitchers we are sure to see include Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler. Not a single one of those guys carries an xBA lower than any of Cole/Rodon/Schmidt/Gil.
That just leaves Los Angeles' bullpen, which finished the regular season ranked in the bottom 10 in both FIP and xFIP.
Point being, it's entirely possible for a New York batter to lead this series in hits, and if that is the case, I don't think there is a better option than Soto at 12/1.
Pick: Juan Soto Most Hits in World Series (+1200)
World Series Player Props: Most Home Runs
By Sean Paul
There are a ton of different options to choose from in the World Series prop markets, but one in particular grabbed my attention.
I’m taking Juan Soto to hit the most homers in the World Series at +800.
Sure, maybe it’s some recency bias since Soto is one of the main reasons why the Yankees are here in the first place. There's also the fact that the odds are a bit mispriced and in favor of Aaron Judge (+260) and Shohei Ohtani (+300).
The two likely MVPs haven’t popped in the power department in the postseason. Judge hasn’t hit well in general, while Ohtani’s three homer total thus far looks like after he launched 54 in the regular season — though he's done plenty of damage with runners in scoring position.
Soto is one of the few hitters in the sport that’s immune to bad matchups. A team can throw their best lefty on him to try to slow him down, but he still hit .278 with 13 homers in the regular season against southpaws.
The good news here? The Dodgers only have Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler and Yoshinobu Yamamoto as starters and bullpen games to fill the other games.
I’m just not sure I can pass on Soto at this number. He hit a career-high 41 homers this year, and he clearly loves the big moments, just like in Game 5 of the ALCS when he cracked a homer off Hunter Gaddis to secure New York’s spot in the World Series.
There’s a ton of prolific power threats in this series — Soto is right among them and he isn’t priced properly.
Pick: Juan Soto Most HRs in World Series (+800)
William Boor's Yankees vs Dodgers Best Bet: Game 1/Series Double
By William Boor
I think the Dodgers are winning the World Series, but rather than simply taking them at a -125 series price, let's try to get a better payout.
The Dodgers are 4-2 at home in the playoffs and although they may be a slight disadvantage when it comes to Game 1 starting pitching, their offense is on fire right now.
Los Angeles has scored six or more runs in four straight games with an average of 6.4 runs per game in the postseason. I trust this offense, which also averaged 5.27 runs per game (second in MLB) during the regular season, to put up the runs necessary to win Game 1 and the World Series.
Both bullpens have question marks, but that just seems to be the story of the 2024 postseason as the over has been cashing at a 55% clip. Additionally, the over has cashed in nine of the Dodgers' 11 postseason games.
I think that trend of high-scoring games will continue in this series, and that pushes me toward the Dodgers.
If the Dodgers can win Game 1, their odds to win the series obviously increase, so I like this correlated play.
Pick: Game 1/Series Double Dodgers/Dodgers (+160)
John Feltman's World Series Exact Order Bet
By John Feltman
If you check FanDuel right now, you'll see a bunch of series combinations where you can wager on the exact order of events and how the Series will unfold. This is a fun way to add spice to the World Series with a couch change bet.
You could attack this bet in several ways, such as a moneyline rollover wager. But, if you are still trying to figure out how that works, 70-1 presents good value.
The Dodgers are a slight -125 favorite to win the World Series, but the Yankees have an edge because of the schedule. For an old-school baseball fan like myself, I was always a fan of the best-of-seven format, which had the home team host the first two games, the road team host games three and four, and then both teams would be home for one game each until the seventh game.
The Dodgers are guaranteed four home games (Games 1-2 and 6-7) because of their home-field advantage, but honestly, the Yankees are more than happy to host three straight games in the Bronx next week.
First, the Yankees are undervalued in Game 1 with Gerrit Cole on the mound while the Dodgers start Jack Flaherty, who has a 7.04 ERA in the postseason.
If the Yankees win Game 1, the Dodgers will likely bounce back in Game 2 with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the hill. That will set up the Yankees to potentially finish the job at home, but winning three straight against this Dodgers team will be extremely tough.
I give the Yankees the edge in Game 3, thanks to the wild atmosphere that should be present at Yankee Stadium in front of their hungry fans. Cole should be back on the mound in Game 4 — current Dodgers are only batting .226 against him lifetime.
That will result in the Yankees being up 3-1 and a chance to close it out at home, but I like the Dodgers for Game 5.
I could see Aaron Boone taking the foot off the gas in Game 6 if he sees his team get into a marginally sized deficit to preserve his top arms for Game 7, which leads me to believe the Series will go 7.
I also like Over 6.5 Games for the Series at +200, so if you take this 70-1 dart, incorporating that to somewhat hedge is also a good idea.
Game 7 is a pick' em, and Cole could be in position to deliver his signature Yankees moment by willing his way to a third victory of the Series and a Yankees title.
Another alternative: If you like the Dodgers to win the series, you could bet this exact combination, but instead, have them slotted in to win Game 7 and get a price at 100/1. I would be completely floored if this series ended in four or five games; you can also take a look at the different combinations of the exact results in a six-game series.
