The 2025 MLB season begins on Tuesday, March 18, with the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers playing pair of games in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs. For nearly everybody else, including 15 out of the 16 National League teams, Opening Day arrives on Thursday, March 27. The Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays will play the first of their 162 games on Friday, March 28.
While each team’s season may not start at exactly the same time, every team does start with a clean slate. Nobody is in first place. Nobody is in last place. We won’t have a truly clear picture of which teams will end up making it to baseball’s postseason for several months. Still, that doesn’t mean we have no idea how the season might play out.
ESPN BET has posted win totals and post-season odds for the upcoming season. In the NL, the Dodgers begin as favorites to win the most games (103.5) as well as make it to the World Series (+300). At the other end of the spectrum, the Colorado Rockies (60.5 wins) are the biggest longshot (+40000) to end up celebrating with champagne this fall.
Here are all of the odds for the NL teams and our thoughts on some potential wagers.
Odds as of publication. For the most up-to-date odds, visit ESPN BET. 
NL East
2025 win total: 91.5 (O -115/U -115)
Odds to win: Division (+200), NLCS (+700), World Series (+1200)
Phillies WIN the NLCS: The scenario atop the NL East is akin to the AL West with my numbers leaving the Phillies and Braves tied for the most wins. In this instance, the Phillies have the lower range of outcomes, so they get the nod to win the division. I’m comfortable with that bet, as well as over 91.5 wins and will play both as a hedge. However, despite the moves the Dodgers made in the offseason, there are risks on their roster, especially in terms of pitching. The Phillies are built to take advantage. — Zola
2025 win total: 93.5 (O -120/U -110)
Odds to win: Division (+150), NLCS (+550), World Series (+900)
UNDER 93.5 wins: The books and my evaluation for Atlanta are in lockstep, so there isn’t a lot of value here. Still, I settled on the under here since much depends upon a healthy and productive return of perhaps the team’s two best players. However, at this juncture, it isn’t clear exactly when Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider will debut. More can go wrong than right. — Zola
2025 win total: 91.5 (O -115/U -115)
Odds to win: Division (+180), NLCS (+550), World Series (+850)
UNDER 91.5 wins: I don’t feel quite as confident about this one as my projection system (THE BAT X) might indicate — only a forecasted 85 wins for the Mets. New York signed quite a few projects (Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas, Griffin Canning) of the type that they’ve shown an ability to succeed with in the past. However, after signing Juan Soto, there was basically no chance this line wouldn’t be set too high. I liked this much more before they re-signed Pete Alonso and reduced the margin for error by a handful of wins, but there’s still a bit of juice here to squeeze. — Carty
2025 win total: 69.5 (O -120/U -110)
Odds to win: Division (+10000), NLCS (+10000), World Series (+15000)
OVER 69.5 wins: The Nationals aren’t a good team and THE BAT X gives them only a 0.4% chance to win the NL East. That said, 70 wins isn’t a high bar to clear. The margin on this one is smaller than others (73.5 projected wins), especially if the team sells off pieces at the trade deadline, but they did make some legitimate additions this off-season in Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell, among others. I am also in no way being glib when I say that Patrick Corbin‘s contract expiring is a true case of addition by subtraction. — Carty
2025 win total: 63.5 (O -120/U -110)
Odds to win: Division (+10000), NLCS (+20000), World Series (+30000)
OVER 63.5 wins: Oh, what’s this? Another bad team with a low win total line? Sign me up! Last year just two teams had a line set lower than this: the Athletics and the Rockies. THE BAT X liked the over on both of them — and we went 2-for-2. With a 2025 projection of 69 wins, we’re going back to the proverbial well. — Carty
NL Central
2025 win total: 82.5 (O -120/U -110)
Odds to win: Division (+260), NLCS (+2500), World Series (+4000)
UNDER 82.5 wins: Admittedly, with 81 projected wins, my confidence in the under is not soaring, but what’s a system if you don’t trust it? The books have docked the Brewers more than 10 wins from a team that seemingly overachieved last season. Look, the best managers adjust to their personnel, hence 2024’s elevated stolen base total, but this is a club that should sport more power bats to take advantage of one of the most HR-friendly venues in the game. The Brewers’ pitching laboratory is gaining a reputation for developing arms, but they’ll be challenged to even approach last season’s level of run prevention. — Zola
2025 win total: 76.5 (O -105/U -125)
Odds to win: Division (+800), NLCS (+6000), World Series (+6000)
OVER 76.5 wins: This appears to be a case of the bookmakers teasing the public into buying into the purported dismantling of the Cardinals, leaving Chaim Bloom with a clean slate when he takes over as president of baseball operations following the 2025 season. Even if the club deals away Nolan Arenado, Ryan Helsley and perhaps Sonny Gray, the division isn’t strong enough to hold the Cardinals under 76 wins. As presently constituted, I am looking at an 80-win season. — Zola
2025 win total: 86.5 (O -115/U -115)
Odds to win: Division (+110), NLCS (+1400), World Series (+3000)
UNDER 86.5 wins: This is a good chance to hedge by also taking the Cubs to win the division. To riff on an analogy that Derek made in his AL analysis, the Cubs in 2025 will be just like the Guardians in 2024. That said, 86.5 wins is a lofty total, and they won’t need that many to take the NL Central. I’m anticipating 84 wins, with the rest of the division at .500 or below. — Zola
2025 win total: 78.5 (O -130/U Even)
Odds to win: Division (+550), NLCS (+3000), World Series (+6000)
OVER 78.5 wins: Last year, the Reds fell 4.5 wins short of their expected total. Regression alone should add a couple of victories, and they also made moves to strengthen the club. Bringing in Gavin Lux, Brady Singer and Taylor Rogers aren’t seismic signings, but they addressed needs. A healthy Matt McLain and (hopefully) Nick Lodolo should make a difference. Cincinnati is looking at a .500 season. — Zola
2025 win total: 76.5 (O -120/U -110)
Odds to win: Division (+800), NLCS (+5000), World Series (+7500)
OVER 76.5 wins: This one is more of a “lean” than an actual recommended bet. With THE BAT X projecting 78 wins, the gap is small, but if you’re looking to bet an NL Central team in one of these markets, this is the one I like the most (or hate the least). The NL Central race is a dead heat, with betting lines separating the top from the bottom by just 10 wins. THE BAT X doesn’t help sort out the mess, as it sees a gap of a mere 6.5 wins. — Carty
NL West
2025 win total: 103.5 (O -125/U -105)
Odds to win: Division (-500), NLCS (+170), World Series (+300)
UNDER 103.5 wins: The Dodgers are the best team in baseball, and they got even better this off-season with elite additions like Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, and Tanner Scott. Still, 103.5 wins is a monstrous number. Just 42 teams in MLB history have ever surpassed it. That comes out to roughly one team every three or four seasons. It’s certainly doable, but calling it LA’s median outcome is simply too aggressive. — Carty.
2025 win total: 89.5 (O -105/U -125)
Odds to win: Division (+500), NLCS (+900), World Series (+1500)
UNDER 89.5 wins: The Padres managed to win 11 more games in 2024 than they did in 2023 despite trading away Juan Soto, and needless to say, a lot of that looks unsustainable. This winter they’ve also lost Jurickson Profar, Ha-Seong Kim, Tanner Scott and Kyle Higashioka while adding very little. Joe Musgrove will miss likely miss the season and there have been heavy rumors of Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Luis Arraez all being traded. With a projection of 80.8 wins from THE BAT X, a wild-card spot is the best they can hope for and, if their chances of getting one are marginal by mid-season, we could see a sell-off. — Carty.
2025 win total: 83.5 (O -150/U +115)
Odds to win: Division (+1000), NLCS (+1600), World Series (+2500)
OVER 83.5 wins: I don’t get it. The Diamondbacks lost Christian Walker but backfilled with a capable Josh Naylor. They added Corbin Burnes to an already strong rotation, which should include Brandon Pfaadt taking the next step. For some clubs, a rebound from one or both of Jordan Montgomery and Eduardo Rodriguez would be needed. For Arizona, it’s a luxury. The odds say I’m missing something, but a projected 85.5 wins says to take the over. — Zola
2025 win total: 79.5 (O -115/U -115)
Odds to win: Division (+3000), NLCS (+2500), World Series (+5000)
OVER 79.5 wins: In a different division, the Giants could challenge for 84-85 wins. However, other than the Rockies, the NL West is stacked. My calculations peg them with 81 wins, so there isn’t much wiggle room, but adding Willy Adames alongside a healthy Jung Hoo Lee should generate at least one victory over last season’s 80-win finish. — Zola
2025 win total: 60.5 (O -115/U -115)
Odds to win: Division (+10000), NLCS (+20000), World Series (+40000)
OVER 60.5 wins: “Give me your tired, your poor, your terrible teams, yearning for someone to bet their over.” You know the drill by now. Take the over, baby. These bad teams won’t all go over, but history tells us enough of them will to make it +EV to bet them all and close your eyes until it’s over. — Carty
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