Cleveland Guardians 2026 World Series, MLB Playoffs betting odds revealed

It is never too early to look ahead to the next season, even if the championship ended less than three days ago. Sportsbooks do not even wait that long. They have odds for the next season’s championship during the current championship series. Once that ends, you get more odds, including league winners.

The Guardians are not getting much respect despite their thrilling AL Central victory this year. There are not yet odds posted for the AL Central or any win totals, but based on American League futures, the Guardians will not be favored to repeat as AL Central champs.

Let us take a look at the AL Central teams’ odds to win the American League,. The Tigers are +1200, followed by the Guardians at +1300. The Royals are at +1800 with the Twins at +3500 and the White Sox at a laughable 500 to 1. 

The Guardians are +2700 to win the World Series in 2026.

These odds tell you it is a two-team race in the Central: the Tigers and Guardians. Both of these teams were led by incredible pitching, both from their starters and their bullpens. The offenses, though, left much to be desired. 

The Tigers are currently in contract negotiations with Cy Young winner and current favorite, Tarik Skubal. Negotiations with a star of Skubal’s caliber and pedigree can get messy. There are already rumors of Skubal simply being traded rather than extended. That may seem unlikely, but anyone is for sale for the right price. 

If the Tigers lose Skubal, their pitching staff takes a massive loss. Second baseman Gleyber Torres is also slated to be a free agent. Can the Tigers actually lose both Skubal and Torres this offseason? Again, it seems unlikely. If they do, the Guardians should jump up the odds board and take over as favorites among the AL Central teams to win the pennant. And once the division odds are released, they will be the favorites there as well.

If the Tigers run it back with a roster similar to last year’s, there is no reason to doubt that the Guardians, who have young bats and arms waiting for their turn, should not compete and win their division. 

How do the Guardians stack up against the rest of the American League teams? They have the seventh-best odds to win the pennant. They have the same odds as the Orioles, but are ahead of teams like the Rangers (+1600) and Royals (+1800). The two teams ahead of them are the Jays (+1000) and the Tigers (+1200). 

All in all, the Guardians are projected, for now, to be a middle-of-the-pack team in the American League but are expected to compete for the top spot in their division. The odds make it clear that the Guardians are not in the same tier as the Yankees, Astros, Mariners, or even the Red Sox. 

None of that really matters, especially in early November. We just saw the difference between the Dodgers and Blue Jays this postseason. The Dodgers were projected to win well over 100 games, while the Jays were projected to finish in last place in the AL East. The Dodgers did not win 100 games, and the Jays won their division and the American League pennant. 

The good thing is the odds do believe the Guardians to compete within the American League next year, it is just up to the front office this winter, and the team as a whole to come together and play to the highest of their abilities if they want to see their names atop these odds boards and leaderboards in 2026.