2023 MLB odds, predictions update: World Series, awards, more - ESPN

The Atlanta Braves have dominated most every headline this baseball season, and their World Series title odds have followed suit, going from +850 (fifth-best) during the preseason, to +650 in early May, to +450 in mid-June, to +310 today.

They're regarded as the overwhelming favorite, ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers (+450), Houston Astros (+550) and Texas Rangers (+800). FanGraphs' odds concur, projecting the Braves to finish six games better in terms of win/loss record than the No. 2 Dodgers, with easily best 25.4% odds of winning the whole shebang.

That said, it's not all Braves, all the time, when it comes to rest-of-year betting opportunities. Yes, there are worthy dice-rolls to take on the World Series champion front — the Milwaukee Brewers (+3500, 3.3% championship odds), Minnesota Twins (+2800, 4.0%), Philadelphia Phillies (+2200, 4.4%), San Diego Padres (+5000, 2.0%) and San Francisco Giants (+3000, 2.3%) all have at best +2000 odds but a minimum 2% chance of winning it all — but it's some of the other futures categories that have presented opportunities for the risk-takers.

The National League's MVP race, which at this point a month ago appeared to be a Ronald Acuna Jr. runaway, looks like it might have as many as three legitimate contenders. Scorching-hot Braves teammate Matt Olson is on a 58-homer, 144-RBI pace, thresholds that have been met only nine times previously in baseball history, while the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman is on track to set personal bests in batting average, hits, doubles, total bases, runs and stolen bases. Interestingly, Acuna remains the favorite in that competition, -750 to Freeman's +600 and Olson's +1700.

The NL's Cy Young race is very much up in the air, with the Arizona Diamondbacks'