Athletics Betting Preview for 2026

It’s easy to look at the 2025 season that was for the Athletics and feel pretty underwhelmed. Yes, turning in a 76-win campaign is not enough to instill a whole lot of confidence for the future, but when looking at the bigger picture, this team is one on the rise.

That 76-win total was the highest this team put up since 2021 when they finished third in the American League West. In each year since, they’ve finished in either fourth- or fifth-place in the standings in what’s turned into a long, ugly rebuild.

Hype is building around this team, and their young offensive core showed plenty of promise last year. There’s a sense that what we saw from the likes of Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Shea Langeliers and Co. in 2025 was just a sample of what we’re going to get from this group for the next half-decade or more.

The fact that the A’s have been active in locking their stars up to early-career extensions underscores the notion that they’re looking to win, and win soon.

Let’s take a look at what the betting odds are saying as we creep closer to the regular season. Who’s got the best shot on the A’s at some hardware? Is there a playoff run in the cards? Let’s dive in.

Win Total – Over/Under

Athletics’ Over/Under: 75.5 (-115/-105)

There’s plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the A’s heading into the 2026 season, and it feels highly likely that they top this figure in the coming year.

Even if they’re not ready to contend for a division title, it’s going to be hard to look away from the nightly highlight reels their lineup puts up.

What are the Athletics’ Odds to Win the AL West?

Athletics Odds to win the AL West: +1300

We haven’t quite seen enough yet of these A’s to guarantee a finish any higher than fourth in the standings, and that’s exactly where BetMGM has them. They’re comfortably above the last-place Angels (+4000) but also well behind the third-place Texas Rangers (+340), which, at this point, feels pretty close to accurate.

It’s going to be hard for the A’s to make it much higher than fourth, but I’d say it’s reasonable to say that a third-place finish is at least possible.

What are the Athletics’ Odds to Win the American League?

Athletics Odds to win the AL: +4000

If the A’s aren’t projecting to finish higher than fourth in the AL West, it’s not exactly a surprise to see them with longshot odds at winning the AL pennant. Again, this team is well prepared to surprise people, but it’d be wise to pump the breaks on “best team in the AL” talks.

In a few years? Sure. Right now? Unlikely.

What are the Athletics’ Odds to Win the World Series?

Athletics World Series Odds: +10000

The A’s come in 23rd here, which feels a little low, but it’s not entirely unwarranted. As we’ll talk more about in a minute, a team can only make it so far with absolutely zero pitching to speak of. The A’s have a lineup that’s capable of doing damage, but expecting them to score 10 runs a night just to cover up their pitching staff’s deficiencies feels unfair. We’re not at World Series talk yet.

Who Has the Best MVP Odds on the Athletics?

Nick Kurtz AL MVP Odds: +1600

You didn’t think it would be anyone else, did you?!

Despite the fact that he didn’t qualify on league-wide leaderboards last year, Kurtz was one of baseball’s very best hitters, and he should continue to be in the new season.

The 23-year-old, who finished 12th in the MVP voting last year while winning a Silver Slugger and taking home the Rookie of the Year Award, is only just getting started.

Who Has the Best Cy Young Odds on the Athletics?

It’s anyone’s guess! The A’s don’t have a single pitcher featured here, but that’s hardly a surprise. While the team’s offense is going to be an absolute unit for years to come, there’s a ton of work to be done on the pitching side of things.

That BetMGM likes Aroldis Chapman, Ryan Weathers, and Shane Smith more as a 2026 Cy Young winner than any pitcher on the A’s tells you all you need to know about how this pitching staff is viewed.

Who Has the Best Rookie of the Year Odds on the Athletics?

Leo De Vries AL ROY Odds: +6600

You have to scroll a bit to find De Vries buried in the rankings, and he’s absolutely going to be a longshot here. Last year, he hit 15 home runs and drove in 74 whiel sporting a 125 wRC+ in 118 games.

Oh, and he did this at the age of 18.

He’s going to be a star for years to come, but I wouldn’t count on him making enough of an impact at the MLB level to take home some hardware.

What’s the Best Bet on the Board?

It’s extremely difficult to pick anything other than Kurtz’s odds for an MVP Award. It’s tough, though, because he’s going to have to surpass the likes of Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that Kurtz did just that in a few statistical categories after he debuted last year.

If you look from June 1 through the end of the regular season, here’s where Kurtz ranked in some major categories:

• Home runs (31): 8th
• Runs (79): 5th
• RBI (71): 12th
• ISO (.365): 1st
• BABIP (.378): 1st
• AVG (.304): T-4th
• OBP (.403): 6th
• SLG (.669): 1st
• OPS (1.071): 1st
• wRC+ (189): 1st

There’s a whole lot of top-spot rankings here, which should spell good news for what he’s got in store for us in the coming campaign.

Notably, BetMGM gives Kurtz the fifth-best odds (+1000) to be the regular-season home run leader in 2026 as well. He’s only behind Judge (+350), Shohei Ohtani (+400), Kyle Schwarber (+800), and Raleigh (+900).

The hype is sky-high around this kid, and for good reason. He’s looking like he could be one of the premier talents in baseball for the next decade-plus, now it’s just about time for the Athletics to lock him up long-term.