Who is still alive in the 2026 MLB playoffs, current World Series odds from named, dated sources, and the arithmetic behind the implied chances and the hold. Refreshed in place.
The Milwaukee Brewers are the World Series favorites at -145 at DraftKings, according to ESPN and FOX Sports on October 15, 2026. Only four teams are still alive: the Brewers, Dodgers, Rays and Guardians. This page shows who is left, the latest prices from named sources, and the arithmetic behind them.
By Jake Mercer. Last updated: October 15, 2026. Prices were published Thursday morning, before Cleveland beat Tampa Bay in ALCS Game 3 and before NLCS Game 4. Playoff prices change after every game, so confirm the number before you bet.
Four teams are left, according to CBS Sports. The Astros, Red Sox, Cubs and Phillies lost in the best-of-three Wild Card Series. In the division round the Dodgers beat the Braves, the Brewers beat the Padres, the Rays beat the Yankees and the Guardians beat the White Sox.
| Series | Status after Thursday afternoon | Next game |
|---|---|---|
| NLCS: Brewers vs. Dodgers | Milwaukee leads 3-0 (Game 3: Brewers 6, Dodgers 2) | Game 4 tonight, 8 p.m. ET, at Los Angeles |
| ALCS: Rays vs. Guardians | Cleveland leads 2-1 (Game 3: Guardians 3, Rays 2) | Game 4 Friday, 6 p.m. ET, at Cleveland |
Per the CBS and MLB.com schedules, games that are only played if needed are NLCS Game 5 (Friday, 9 p.m. ET), Game 6 (Sunday) and Game 7 (Monday), and ALCS Game 6 (Monday) and Game 7 (Tuesday, Oct. 20). The World Series starts Friday, October 23. CBS noted that bad weather is expected in Cleveland on Friday, so the ALCS schedule could shift.
ESPN and FOX Sports published the same DraftKings board on October 15: Brewers -145, Rays +300, Guardians +550 and Dodgers +1100. ESPN’s version was posted at 10:44 a.m. ET and FOX’s at 10:50 a.m. ET. Both predate the Guardians’ Game 3 win, so Cleveland’s +550 is probably shorter now. We did not find a published post-game price and will not guess one. “Profit on $100” is the winnings if the team wins the title. “Implied chance” is the price converted to a percentage.
| Team | Odds | Profit on $100 | Implied chance | Chance with fee removed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Brewers | -145 | $68.97 | 59.2% | 54.8% |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +300 | $300 | 25.0% | 23.2% |
| Cleveland Guardians | +550 | $550 | 15.4% | 14.3% |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +1100 | $1,100 | 8.3% | 7.7% |
Here is how the percentages work. For a plus price, implied chance = 100 / (odds + 100). The Rays at +300 are 100 / 400 = 25.0%. For a minus price, implied chance = odds / (odds + 100), ignoring the minus sign. The Brewers at -145 are 145 / 245 = 59.2%.
Add the four chances: 59.2% + 25.0% + 15.4% + 8.3% = 107.9%. Exactly one of these four teams will win, so a fair board would add up to 100%. The extra 7.9 points are the sportsbook’s margin. Dividing each chance by 107.9% removes it, which is the last column. The Brewers go from 59.2% to 54.8%. The hold on this four-team board is 7.9 / 107.9 = 7.3%, lower than the 17.9% hold we calculated on the 32-team Super Bowl board on our NFL Super Bowl odds page, because there are fewer prices to pad.
ESPN listed series prices at 6:28 a.m. ET on October 15, also from DraftKings and also before Thursday’s games. The NLCS price is for a series the Brewers lead 3-0. The ALCS price is for a series that was tied 1-1 at the time.
| Series | Team | Odds | Implied chance | Fee removed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLCS | Brewers | -1200 | 92.3% | 89.3% |
| NLCS | Dodgers | +800 | 11.1% | 10.7% |
| ALCS (before Game 3) | Rays | -135 | 57.4% | 55.3% |
| ALCS (before Game 3) | Guardians | +115 | 46.5% | 44.7% |
The NLCS prices add up to 103.4% (92.3% + 11.1%), a hold of 3.3%. The ALCS prices add up to 104.0% (57.4% + 46.5%), a hold of 3.8%. The ALCS table is out of date now. Rays -135 was a pre-Game-3 price, and the Guardians have since gone up 2-1.
ESPN also listed NLCS Game 4 for tonight: Dodgers -157, Brewers +130. Dodgers -157 is 157 / 257 = 61.1% and Brewers +130 is 100 / 230 = 43.5%. Those add up to 104.6%. In plain terms, DraftKings makes Los Angeles about a 58% favorite to win tonight after the fee is removed (61.1 / 104.6), even though the Dodgers are facing elimination.
MLB.com reported on October 15 that, in all best-of-seven postseason series, teams with a 3-0 lead have won 41 of 42 times, which is 97.6%. Only the 2004 Red Sox came all the way back, and only two teams have ever forced a Game 7.
Compare that with the market. The Dodgers at +800 imply 11.1%, or 10.7% with the fee removed. History says 1 in 42, or 2.4%. That gap does not prove the price is wrong. This Dodgers team is not a typical 3-0 victim, and 42 series is a small sample. But it does show that the market is pricing a stronger team than the average team in that spot, and it gives you a plain reference point before you spend money on a comeback ticket.
Here is a rough cross-check using only the numbers above. The Brewers’ title chance with the fee removed is 54.8%. Their NLCS chance with the fee removed is 89.3%. If you divide the first by the second, the market is saying Milwaukee wins the World Series about 61% of the time when it gets there (54.8 / 89.3).
Treat that number as a sanity check, not a forecast. The two prices were posted about four hours apart, come from different markets with different fees, and both rely on rounded American odds. The point is simple: a team that is -145 for the whole thing is priced as a modest favorite over the AL champion, not a lock. Our guide to MLB moneylines, run lines and totals explains the single-game markets if you want to bet individual games.
Our take: we are not recommending a ticket on this board today. Three plain reasons:
If you still bet, shop prices, write down your reason in one sentence, and keep the stake small enough that a loss does not change your week. Our MLB playoff betting guide covers postseason markets, our earlier World Series futures guide has the longer-term price history, and our MLB playoff odds guide was written before the championship round, so use this page for the current board.
U.S. states with legal sportsbooks post World Series and series prices. Offshore sportsbooks such as BetOnline and Bovada also offer MLB betting, and their prices can differ from the DraftKings numbers above. Offshore books are not licensed by U.S. state regulators, so read their terms, limits and payout rules before you deposit. Bet only money you can afford to lose. If gambling stops being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Affiliate disclosure: DWZ may earn a commission if you sign up through these links, at no cost to you. This does not change our analysis.
This is one permanent page for MLB playoff and World Series odds. We replace the odds, the status table and the charts in place instead of publishing a new page after every game. The “Last updated” date at the top shows when the numbers were copied. If that date is old, treat every price as stale.
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