Updated

Updated · FOX Sports · Oct 22

DraftKings Sees Brewers Draw Heavy World Series Action at -165 as Rays Backers Hold 80-1 Tickets

Updated

Updated · FOX Sports · Oct 22

DraftKings Sees Brewers Draw Heavy World Series Action at -165 as Rays Backers Hold 80-1 Tickets

Q: With two of baseball's lowest payrolls clashing for their first-ever title, which underdog franchise will finally break its historic championship drought?

The Brewers enter the series as the likelier team to end its drought. Milwaukee has the stronger overall case on both form and market expectation. The Brewers finished with baseball’s best record at 103-59, own home-field advantage, and opened the World Series as roughly a -160 to -165 favorite. They also just swept the Dodgers in the NLCS and have paired a patient offense with elite bullpen work, with relievers posting a 1.33 postseason ERA. The Rays are hardly a Cinderella in terms of quality. Tampa Bay won 98 games, led the American League, swept the Yankees, and beat Cleveland in six games. Their path has been built on run prevention, efficient bullpen use and frontline pitching, with Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz and likely Game 1 option Drew Rasmussen central to their chances. If the Rays win, it would be the franchise’s first title in its third World Series trip, after losses in 2008 and 2020. Historically, Milwaukee is chasing its first championship after only one previous World Series appearance, in 1982. Tampa Bay, founded later in 1998, is also seeking its first title but has reached this stage more recently and more often. The emotional stakes are high for both: the winner will trim MLB’s list of title-less franchises from five to four. So the answer is still unresolved on the field, but based on record, roster balance, postseason dominance and betting odds, the Brewers are the slight favorite to finally break through.

3 articles · Updated · FOX Sports · Oct 22

Milwaukee entered Thursday as a -165 World Series favorite at DraftKings, with bettors also backing the Brewers in Game 1 against Tampa Bay ahead of Friday’s 8 p.m. ET opener.
Those prices reflect a matchup few customers saw coming: the Rays opened at +8000 and the Brewers at +3500 on March 25, leaving only a small pool of preseason tickets alive.
DraftKings said Milwaukee’s support built late in the regular season and continued through the playoffs, while Tampa Bay drew little futures action despite still being available at +800 when the postseason began.
The Brewers’ edge is reinforced by Game 1 starter Jacob Misiorowski, the 24-year-old ace who went 16-5 with a 1.80 ERA, making the opener’s odds nearly identical to the series price.
Prop bettors are reaching for longer payouts too, with Christian Yelich attracting the most World Series MVP tickets and money at 25-1 even though Jackson Chourio is the +600 favorite.

Sources

FOX Sports2h ago

DraftKings Reports 2026 World Series Betting Trends for Rays vs. Brewers

Deadspin6h ago

World Series Predictions: 3 Best Bets for Brewers vs. Rays | Deadspin.com

VSiN5h ago

Top MLB Betting Picks for Friday, October 23

11 Sources

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With two of baseball's lowest payrolls clashing for their first-ever title, which underdog franchise will finally break its historic championship drought?