Is there any doubt that Kevin Gausman will start Game 1 of the 2025 World Series? Actually, yes; the Toronto Blue Jays have yet to officially announce their decision for Friday’s opener as we go to press.
Gausman would be the logical choice, except he was called on to pitch an inning of relief in Monday’s ALCS-clinching Game 7 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
How can we make our MLB World Series picks today without this vital information? Let’s find out before placing today’s best World Series picks.
World Series Picks Today At-a-Glance
The baseball betting world isn’t slowing down for anyone.
Oddsmakers are confident enough in Gausman’s availability to post their first moneylines and totals on the MLB odds board, with Gausman himself featured in Toronto’s player props.
It’s possible the Jays will swerve us and start Trey Yesavage or someone else, but let’s proceed for now as if Gausman will get the nod, and adjust our MLB picks for October 24 as necessary.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays (TOR +125)
Friday, October 24, 2025 – 08:00 PM EDT
Does it matter who Toronto will start when their opponents are the defending World Series champions – and hot as a pistol after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL pennant?
The Dodgers have been resting comfortably since last Friday, and they’ve already announced Blake Snell (3.09 xFIP during the regular season) as their Game 1 starter, after he did the same against the Brewers with eight shutout innings of one-hit ball.
There are several quality hitters in Toronto’s lineup, but they’ve only managed one home run (by Springer) in 66 combined lifetime at-bats off Snell, plus a pair of doubles and not much else.
Their pedestrian .623 OPS is well short of the .757 OPS current Dodgers have amassed against Gausman, including eight homers and nine doubles in 156 at-bats.
Factor in that occasionally shaky Jays bullpen, and it’s no surprise we’re seeing early sharp action on L.A. at –150 on the moneyline, with some fairly substantial bet sizes to boot. We’ll make that our choice as well; put it on the pile with our other MLB picks here at OddsTrader.
Total: 7.5 (Over +100, Under –120)
Our sources indicate sharp action landing on Over 7.5 for Friday’s matchup, which would be consistent with a pessimistic viewpoint towards Gausman and his ability to keep the Dodgers in check.
However, there’s also some upside here with Toronto’s bats. Specially with shortstop Bo Bichette (.840 OPS) re-joining the roster for the World Series after hurting his knee in early September.
Will Bichette be their designated hitter Friday? Or do the Jays dare put him back on the diamond, where Bichette was minus-13 Runs Saved as per the Fielding Bible?
Either way, his presence will help put some runs on the board, and make this Jays-Dodgers series more competitive – which will make Game 1 more likely to go into extra innings, thus adding to our cause.
Rogers Centre used to be a hitter’s park, but it’s been neutralized (100 Park Factor at Baseball Savant) by the recent and ongoing renovations inside the stadium. Otherwise, you can see why the Over is the sharp choice for our Game 1 World Series picks: big bats, and dubious bullpen pitching.
What We’ve Covered and Next Steps
That sharp action is spilling over to the MLB props market, where several batters for both teams are projected to go Over their posted totals for Game 1.
Download the OddsTrader App if you haven’t already, and check out all the different ways you can bet on the MLB World Series today. Bet accordingly, and make sure to come back for more World Series picks as we get closer to crowning this year’s champion.
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
