2024 MLB division series round betting guide: Props, picks, futures

The 2024 MLB division series round is here, with four best-of-five showdowns ready to get going. In each series, Games 1, 2 and 5 (if necessary) will take place at the home stadium of the division winners that earned a bye into this round of the playoffs.

Check back every day to see the latest odds for each game as well as a few betting tips on some of the prop bets available to be made on each contest.

For more on the MLB playoffs, check out each team's oddsto win the World Series here.

All odds accurate as of publish time. Series odds reflect the lines as of the start of Game 1. For more, go toESPN BET.

• Series line: Tigers (+105), Guardians (-125)
• Series result: Tigers sweep (+600), Tigers in 4 (+400), Tigers in 5 (+400)
• Series result:Guardians sweep (+550), Guardians in 4 (+325), Guardians in 5 (+450)

Zola's series pick:Playoff baseball is intriguing since runs are harder to come by, but the successful teams usually hit more homers. The Guardians' offense is ideal for this scenario, and they manage their pitching as well as any team in the postseason. That said, they will face Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal in Game 2, so predicting a sweep is aggressive. So is anticipating the Guardians to sweep both games in Motown, but that's where I am going, avoiding betting simply on the Guardians to defeat the Tigers and calling it in four games.

Game 1: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Saturday, Oct. 5, 1:08 p.m. ET (TBS)

• Game 1 line: Tigers +1.5 (-175), Guardians -1.5 (+145)
• Game 1 money line: Tigers +130, Guardians -155
• Game 1 O/U:7.5 runs, Over (+110)/Under (-130)

The Guardians are heavy favorites, in part because they're starting their ace, RHP Tanner Bibee while the Detroit Tigers are opening with LHP Tyler Holton(with RHP Reese Olson slated to handle bulk innings out of the bullpen). The Tigers had great success "piecemealing" their pitching down the stretch. Still, with Olson only having thrown 9 1/3 innings over the last two weeks of September, the Guardians should take Game 1 in convincing fashion. It's enough to give the 1.5 runs.

The Tigers are cleverly starting a lefty then following with a righty, forcing Guardians manager Steven Vogt into a couple of tough lineup decisions. However, placing switch-hitting 3B Jose Ramirez into his familiar three-hole is a no-brainer. I'll take Ramirez to go over 1.5 total hits (+230).

Game 2: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Monday, Oct. 7, 4:08 p.m. ET (TBS)

Game 3:Comerica Park, Detroit,Wednesday, Oct. 9, TBD, (TBS)

*Game 4:Comerica Park, Detroit,Thursday, Oct. 10, TBD, (TBS)

*Game 5: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Saturday, Oct. 12, TBD, (TBS)

• Series line: Mets (+150), Phillies (-180)
• Series result: Mets sweep (+900), Mets in 4 (+500), Mets in 5 (+550)
• Series result: Phillies sweep (+425), Phillies in 4 (+300), Phillies in 5 (+280)

Zola's series pick:The Philliesare one of the few teams with three solid starting pitchers, although their bullpen is suspect. The Phillies are favored over the Mets, and they are my choice to advance. The safe play is just picking the Phillies to win the series. I'm going to be more adventurous, however, and I will back the Phillies to win in four.

Game 1: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Saturday, Oct. 5, 4:08 p.m. ET (FOX)

• Game 1 line: Mets +1.5 (-145), Phillies -1.5 (+120)
• Game 1 money line: Mets +155, Phillies -185
• Game 1 O/U: 7.5 runs, Over (+110)/Under (-130)

The Philliesare giving the ball to NL Cy Young candidate RHP Zack Wheeler while the Mets will start RHP Kodai Senga before turning to LHP David Peterson and perhaps RHP Tylor Megill. The Phillies offense was in a rut down the stretch, but remains potent with hitters acclimated to playoff baseball. The bet is the Phillies -1.5 runs.

Wheeler completed at least six frames in 26 of his 32 starts, including his last 11. He'll be pitching with six days of rest, enough to refresh but not lose his edge. I'll take Wheeler to record over 17.5 total outs (+125).

Game 2: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Sunday, Oct. 6, 4:08 p.m. ET (FS1)

Game 3: Citi Field, New York, Tuesday, Oct. 8, TBD, (FOX/FS1)

*Game 4: Citi Field, New York, Wednesday, Oct. 9, TBD, (FOX/FS1)

*Game 5: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Friday, Oct. 11, TBD, (FOX/FS1)

• Series line: Royals (+170), Yankees (-210)
• Series result: Royals sweep (+1300), Royals in 4 (+600), Royals in 5 (+500)
• Series result: Yankees sweep (+360), Yankees in 4 (+250), Yankees in 5 (+320)

Zola's series pick:Of the four divisional series, this is the toughest for me to handicap. The odds disagree as they have the Yankeesas the heaviest favorites in this round. My issue is that the Yankees' pitching, on paper, should be better than the Royals', but there are a lot of question marks in the New York rotation while the Royals are healthy and in a groove. Yankees bats should be better than their counterparts, but they are fueled by homers and the Royals staff yielded the fewest long balls in MLB. For the second straight round, the Royals are my upset special. I'm taking them to win the series, but I am also hedging a bit by calling the series to go five games (+170).

Game 1: Yankee Stadium, New York, Saturday, Oct. 5, 6:38 p.m. ET (TBS)

• Game 1 line: Royals +1.5 (-130), Yankees -1.5 (+110)
• Game 1 money line: Royals +170, Yankees -205
• Game 1 O/U: 7.5 runs, Over (-120)/Under (Even)

The Royalsswept the Oriolesdespite scoring just three total runs in two games. I don't expect the Royals to fare much better with the Yankees sending RHPGerrit Coleto the bump. The Royals counter with RHP Michael Wacha and his low 0.92 HR/9 mark. I expect a low-scoring affair, so take under 7.5 runs.

I have less of a feel for this game than other three Divisional Series openers, so I'll go a safe route with Yankees OF Aaron Judge to go over 1.5 total bases (+110).

Game 2: Yankee Stadium, New York, Monday, Oct. 7, 7:38 p.m. ET (TBS)

Game 3: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Wednesday, Oct. 9, TBD, (TBS)

*Game 4: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Thursday, Oct. 10, TBD, (TBS)

*Game 5: Yankee Stadium, New York, Saturday, Oct. 12, TBD, (TBS)

• Series line: Padres (+115), Dodgers (-135)
• Series result: Padres sweep (+750), Padres in 4 (+425), Padres in 5 (+450)
• Series result: Dodgers sweep (+500), Dodgers in 4 (+340), Dodgers in 5 (+320)

Zola's series pick:The Dodgers and Padresopened the season in South Korea, and now they meet to decide who represents SoCal in the NLCS. The Dodgers finished five games ahead of the Padres in the NL West and are slight favorites. However, the Padres' starting pitching is in much better shape, plus the San Diego bullpen is solid. Since the Padres are getting plus odds as the underdog, I'm taking the Padres to win the series while also picking them to defeat the Dodgers in four games.

Game 1: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, Saturday, Oct. 5, 8:38 p.m. ET (FS1)

• Game 1 line: Padres +1.5 (-190), Dodgers -1.5 (+160)
• Game 1 money line: Padres +115, Dodgers -135
• Game 1 O/U: 7.5 runs, Over (-115)/Under (-105)

The best pitching matchup on the Saturday slate features DodgersRHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto squaring off with PadresRHP Dylan Cease. The Dodgers got to Cease for three runs over five innings during the last week of the season, but Cease likely avoided using his preferred approach, aware that he could face the Dodgers again in the playoffs. I'm betting on Cease to fare much better, and will back the Padres and the money line.

Cease's strikeouts dipped in his last two regular season outings, but he did fan at least six hitters in 19 of his 33 efforts. That's plenty enough dominant to bet Cease to go over 5.5 total strikeouts (+150).

Game 2: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, Sunday, Oct. 6, 8:03 p.m. ET (FS1)

Game 3: Petco Park, San Diego, Tuesday, Oct. 8, TBD, (FOX/FS1)

*Game 4: Petco Park, San Diego, Wednesday, Oct. 9, TBD, (FOX/FS1)

*Game 5: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 11, TBD, (FOX/FS1)