The 2025 MLB season is set to begin this week as the Los Angeles Dodgers look to defend the championship they won in 2024.
The Dodgers claimed a 4-1 series win over the New York Yankees in a hotly-contested World Series finale back in October, but a wild off-season has seen a lot of changes and there will no doubt be new challengers for the crown.
We’ll take a look at the race for the championship this season and provide you with our best free MLB betting picks, as we look to earn you some extra cash while you take in the action on the field.
The reigning and defending champions are the heavy favorites coming into the new season after their success in 2024, and it is absolutely no shock to anyone into MLB.
The Dodgers already have the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto as part of their roster, and they have now added in studs like Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki to their rotation to make themselves even stronger.
Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are also still part of the team, meaning the top of their order has got three future Hall of Fame talents ready to fire them to a host of victories this season and potentially a ninth World Series championship.
The roster is just incredibly strong, and they have the experience of being together and going all the way in the postseason too. Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates will help them close out now, and it’s hard to look beyond them for the 2025 World Series title.
It doesn’t seem like the best value at +250 but considering they’re comfortably the strongest roster in the MLB and the more they win the shorter the price will get, it’s probably the best price you’re going to get this season. Take it and run.
Atlanta had a disappointing season in 2024 despite a winning record in the regular season which saw them go 89-73 and claim a spot in the playoffs.
There they faced off against the San Diego Padres but they immediately got eliminated with a sweeping defeat on the road. They would have been hoping to get further and compete for the Championship, but now they will be turning their attentions to this season.
Part of their hope for success this season will be Spencer Strider returning to top form, while they will also be desperate to help Ronald Acuna Jr rediscover his best level as one of the best and most dynamic players in the MLB.
The team also moved to bring in Jurickson Profar to strengthen an already stacked offense that has the likes of Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach, which cements their spot as one of the favorites for the new season.
At +900 there is good value in getting them to go all the way, but there is arguably better value in other teams.
After losing Juan Soto, the Yankees have moved to replace him with two players who look like perfect fits for the roster in Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman has also brought in closer Devin Williams and a solid option for the batting lineup in Max Fried too, giving the roster less superstar power but an overall more balanced and stronger look.
It’s clear that the Yankees are one of the top teams in the American League, but they’re also in the toughest division in the league too. That makes success harder to predict for them this season, but they did make it through to the final last season and at +900 the value is decent for them to go one step further.
The New York Mets were always looking good in recent times but lacked superstar power. That has now been addressed after the additions of signing Juan Soto and Pete Alonso and at +1100 there is terrific value in them to get the job done.
Their roster also includes the likes of Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo, while Francisco Alvarez will also be hopeful of getting back to his best.
It would still be a surprise, however, if they are to go all the way because it’s a fairly fresh looking team and they haven’t been able to go all the way for a very long time. It’s a long shot, but it’s definitely worth a look at this price.
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.