The World Series starts tomorrow, Friday, October 22, and Florida bettors are getting behind the home-state team.
The Tampa Bay Rays face the Milwaukee Brewers in baseball’s Fall Classic, with Milwaukee entering as the betting favorite. But the Rays’ underdog status hasn’t discouraged Floridians from betting on Tampa Bay to bring the trophy home for the first time in franchise history.
Hard Rock Bet’s county-by-county World Series betting map shows the Rays are attracting 63% of series winner tickets statewide, compared with 37% for the Brewers, as of October 22.
However, there’s one particularly noticeable exception: Southeast Florida… where bettors want to see the Brewers deny their Floridian rivals a title.
Rays vs. Brewers World Series Odds
- Rays Odds to Win the World Series: +140 (underdog)
- Brewers Odds to Win the World Series: -165 (favorite)
The Brewers are currently -165 favorites to win the World Series before things get underway, while the Rays are +140 underdogs. Using our odds calculator this has the Brewers as around 60/40% favorites.
Those odds put Milwaukee in the driver’s seat, but Florida’s betting activity tells a different story. Nearly two-thirds of series winner tickets are on the underdog.
Referenced odds are subject to change.
Florida Bettors Rally Behind the Rays
The betting map from Hard Rock Bet shows Tampa Bay’s support extending well beyond its home market.
Much of Central Florida and the Gulf Coast is shaded Rays blue, with additional support stretching into Northeast Florida and the western Panhandle. The result is a broad footprint for Tampa Bay as it prepares to represent the American League against the National League’s Brewers.
The map isn’t unanimous, though. Several counties are evenly split, and pockets of Brewers support appear elsewhere in the state. Still, the overall picture is clear: Florida bettors are largely backing the local team.
Whether driven by hometown loyalty, the appeal of a +140 price, or just confidence in Tampa Bay’s team, those wagers have given the Rays a substantial statewide ticket lead.
South Florida Breaks With the Statewide Trend
The most striking contrast appears along Florida’s southeastern coast.
Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties are backing the Brewers, forming a noticeable stretch of Milwaukee support in a state otherwise leaning toward the Rays.
Of course, South Florida has its own MLB team in the Miami Marlins. The Rays may be Florida’s representative in this World Series, but sharing a state doesn’t automatically make them the hometown choice for Miami-area baseball fans.
The betting data doesn’t reveal why bettors have selected Milwaukee. It does, however, show that enthusiasm for a potential Rays championship hasn’t translated into a statewide sweep.
2026 World Series Schedule
The 2026 World Series kicks off Friday night in Milwaukee and Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook will have odds on everything from who wins each game, to inning props like NRFI, to home run props.
- Game 1: Friday, October 23 – @ Milwaukee
- Game 2: Saturday, October 24 – @ Milwaukee
- Game 3: Monday, October 26 – @ Tampa Bay
- Game 4: Tuesday, October 27 – @ Tampa Bay
- Game 5: Wednesday, October 28 – @ Tampa Bay
- Game 6: Friday, October 30 – @ Milwaukee
- Game 7: Saturday, October 31 – @ Milwaukee
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