They say spring training is when hope springs eternal for all 30 MLB fanbases. Well, 30 may seem like a stretch if you're a fan of, say, the Chicago White Sox (sorry to the southsiders out there), but with three wild card spots up for grabs in both leagues, more than half of the teams in the league think they have a chance of getting into the playoffs and making a run at a World Series berth.

And hey, sometimes getting in is all it takes. We've seen wild card teams make runs at the title before, such as the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023 and Washington Nationals in 2019. 

Will we see another sleeper team make a run at the World Series this year? Or will the perennial favorites, such as the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, steamroll their way to the pennant? There are plenty of strategies when it comes to betting on pennant winners, and I'm going to try my best here to explain why I'm backing and fading different clubs in both leagues as we inch closer and closer to opening day. 

Before you make any bets on who wins the AL and NL pennant, you need to see who SportsLine editor Brandon Gustafson is backing. Gustafson covered baseball for Seattle Sports 710 AM and is a former college pitcher. He's been keeping a very close eye on the sport for years. 

Now Gustafson has made his picks for the 2025 season. Be sure to see who he's backing before making any picks of your own.

Which teams are the best bets to win reach the 2025 World Series? And which favorites should be avoided? ... Join SportsLine right now to see 2025 AL and NL pennant futures betting strategy from SportsLine's expert!