A new champion will be crowned as the Tampa Bay Rays meet the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One, with the best-of-7 series scheduled to start at American Family Field (Kentucky Bluegrass) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Friday night (NBC, 8 ET/7 CT/5 PT).​

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series in 2024 and 2025, but the Brewers swept the weak-hitting Dodgers in the NLCS to make the Fall Classic. This will be the first World Series without clubs from California or Texas since 2016.​ Do we blame Joe Biden?

How They Got Here: Milwaukee (103-59, 55-26 at Home) always had LA in the way, so Milwaukee strengthened the pitching staff and saw ace Jacob Misiorowski (16-5, 1.80 ERA) have a Cy Young year along with C William Contreras, 1B Jake Bauers, LF Jackson Choriou, and 2B Brice Turang.​

The BrewCrew won the NL Central and earned an NL Postseason Round 1 bye by virtue of having the best record in the Senior Circuit, then defeated the San Diego Padres (3-1) in the NLDS in four low-scoring games before dusting off Los Doyers and outscoring the champs 21-11 in the process.​

​Tampa Bay (98-64, 55-26 at Home) won the AL East and also had a Round 1 bye. TB swept the anemic Yankees in the ALDS (3-0) before dispatching Cleveland in the ALCS (4-2), a series lengthened by foul weather and not Viagra, and finally ending Monday night with a Rays win.​

All-Star 3B Junior Caminero (.276/43/101), DH Yandy Díaz (.292/22/85), 1B Jonathan Aranda (.274/22/92) and the Rays raced to the top of the competitive AL East and didn’t look back, bolstered by solid pitching (1.14 WHIP, #1/.229 BA, #3/3.70 ERA, #7) and an offense (.258 BA, #2).​

Like all Futures and league-winning markets on prediction markets and in sportsbooks, all teams in the league have traders betting on them winning—or not winning, in the case of the ‘No’ option prediction market traders have—the league championship and paying out its backers.​

We started with 30 teams in the MLB: World Series Champion market, and now it’s down to the American League pennant winner, the Tampa Bay Rays (39%), and the National League pennant winner, the Milwaukee Brewers (62%), where traders at Polymarket like the Senior Circuit side.​

Because of its MLB-best record, Milwaukee earned homefield advantage for this World Series and will host Game 1 on Friday night (FOX, 8 ET/7 CT/5PT) and Game 2 on Saturday night (FOX, 8 ET/7 CT/5PT). The Brewers are expected to start Jacob Misiorowski (G1) and Logan Henderson (G2).​

​On October 19, this market (Polymarket international) had $45,463,292 in volume. For comparison, in Kalshi’s Pro Baseball Champion market, there was $130,918,241 in volume, so although the Football category is and always will be king, Baseball also does its fair share of grind.​

🔮Trading Thoughts: The Brewers have been fueled by memories of last season and missing out on a chance at their first World Series win ever. This is Milwaukee’s second Fall Classic appearance after Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and the Brewers lost to the Cardinals in seven games in 1982.​

With the nucleus of Bauers (.231/26/86), Contreras (.236/18/94), Turang (.268/21/100), and sparkplug Chorious (.291/25/75), and CF Garrett Mitchell (.262/11/65) and veteran Christian Yelich (.235/12/59) also helping, this team had the second-highest Runs total in MLB (832).​

​TB has had brilliant pitching, but Milwaukee’s relievers were fantastic for Manager Pat Murphy in eliminating LA and SD, allowing just one earned run in 14 appearances in the two series. Against the Dodgers, Brewers relievers picked up the win in all four games (DL Hall 2x, JoJo Romero 2x).​

The Rays will try to snatch the home-field edge by winning either G1 or G2 in Milwaukee, but with ace The Miz and Henderson (11-3, 2.47 ERA, 0.84 WHIP) getting the pill and the Brewers so good at home, this may prove difficult. RHP Drew Rasmussen (16-5, 2.67 ERA, 0.91) is the Rays ace.

⚾2026 MLB World Series Winner Pick: Milwaukee Brewers. Yes 62¢

The World Series winner market is cool, as it goes to the player who comes through when it matters the most, and being a position player, a DH, or a pitcher doesn’t prohibit one from winning this prestigious award. Last year, Dodgers’ starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto won the WS MVP honor.​

Milwaukee has a handful of guys who could snatch the Pro Baseball Championship Series MVP Winner award, including ace and RHP Jacob Misiorowski (10%), who could start Games 1 and 4 and possibly a series-deciding Game 7 in Brew City on Halloween, Saturday, October 31.​

The favorite at Kalshi on October 19 after TB clinched was Rays Yandy Díaz (16%), followed by Brewers backstop William Contreras (15%), The Miz (10%), and Rays Jonathan Aranda (9.9%), Rays starters Drew Rasmussen (9.5%) and Aaron Ashby (9.4%), and Brewers Brice Turang (8.5%).​

Longshots include Jackson Chourio (8%), Brewers Jake Bauers (7.7%), Rays 3B Junior Caminero (7.1%), Brewers vet Christian Yelich (4.6%), and Brewers Garrett Mitchell (2.6%), a very worthy longshot and underrated player on this blue-collar baseball team from America’s Dairyland.​

​🔮Trading Thoughts: Before Japanese hurler Yamamoto, an infielder won the World Series MVP four of the last five times, with SS Corey Seager collecting the trophy twice, once in 2020 with the Dodgers and another in 2023 for the Rangers, and 1B Freddie Freeman the winner in 2024.​

The Brewers Misiorowski, Chourio, and Bauers and the Rays Rasmussen, Caminero, and Díaz look like the best candidates, but whoever loses the Game 1 duel between Misiorowski and Rasmussen may be out of the picture. He who gets key hits, has a .300+ average, and is on the winner may win.​

For me, it’s between position players and 3B Caminero (TB) and Bauers (MIL) unless Misiorowski pitches a gem and gets a shutout win in Game 1 on Friday. In the Postseason, Caminero (.233/0/2) and Bauers (.269/1/6) have been solid, although the numbers aren’t reflective of that reality.​

This award is officially called the Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player Award and was named after the legendary New York Giants OF Willie Mays in 2017 to pay homage to his iconic catch in center in the 1954 World Series. Yes, the Giants franchise once called New York home.

⚾2026 MLB World Series MVP Winner Pick: Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee Brewers. Yes 11¢

On Tuesday, October 6, The Hill reported that US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) predicted Democrats will immediately move to impeach President Donald J. Trump if the Blue party wins control of the lower chamber of Congress in the upcoming 2026 Midterm Elections.​

At Kalshi on Wednesday, October 7, traders were giving the Democrats a solid 90% chance in the Which Party Will Win the U.S. House? market, meaning if Johnson’s thoughts are true, then we may see even more drama in Washington, DC, which has sadly become America’s new Reality TV.​

​“It’s guaranteed, probably on the first day—first or second day. Remember, they’ve [the Democrats in the House of Representatives] already filed articles of impeachment in this Congress. And they’re raring to go,” Johnson told pro-Republican media pundit Scott Jennings on Tuesday.​

Thus the Political category market, How Many Times Will Trump be Impeached in his Second Term? at Kalshi (only $7,125 volume on October 7), where traders have four Yes-No choices: At Least 1 (73%), At Least 2 (26%), At Least 3 (18%), and At Least 4 (9%).​

​In his first term as 45th U.S. President (2017-2021), former Democrat and Independent Trump was impeached twice, first by the House for abuse of power and obstruction of justice (December 19, 2019) and again by the House for incitement of insurrection (January 13, 2021).​

It would be wise to think thrice before trading here for many reasons; primarily, you’ll have to look at yourself in the mirror after doing so. Never underestimate Trump the Elder’s ability to disrupt what has traditionally happened. Read the rules if you bet and don’t be surprised if chaos rules.​

At Limitless Exchange, members can trade the US National Bitcoin Reserve Before 2027? market, where low-liquidity sentiment suggests a 52.5% chance the country will create a strategic Bitcoin reserve for the popular cryptocurrency in the next two-and-a-half months.

The Limitless Exchange—operated by Limited Labs and headquartered in the Grand Cayman Islands—isn’t available in the US, and that seems like a good thing from what I’ve seen. Limitless Markets US, LLC has filed with the CFTC to operate in the US. So, an offshore illegal PM for now?

Earlier this year in March, US President Trump created and signed an executive order to establish a strategic Bitcoin Reserve and U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile in the country, to be funded by forfeited Bitcoin (BTC) from the United States Department of the Treasury (USDT).

The proposed U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve would act as a reserve asset, but if they are going to open it up officially, they'd better do it quickly. ‘No’ would seem like a smart trade before this price changes at Limitless, but the liquidity and reputation need more mass? Sleep a better trade.

At Polymarket in the same US National Bitcoin Reserve Before 2027? market ($65,202 volume on October 7), the ‘Yes’ was at just 5%, so always be wary of the prediction market you are trading in, the volume, order book, and if you feel safe putting your money in and trading on the platform.

Limitless also has a US National Ethereum Reserve Before 2027?, with just 9.9% thinking this crypto will have a similar reserve created for it. A 2025 survey of University of Chicago economists found none thought borrowing money to create this reserve was a good idea.

Suddenly, Texas doesn’t look like the SEC monster many projected through rankings and an incredibly strong roster after the 2026 NIL winds blew through Austin. If QB Arch Manning (10 TD/5 INT) is a Heisman Trophy candidate and NFL Round 1 pick, then we are all Nikola Tesla.​

On Saturday, Manning and #19 Texas (4-2, 1-2 in SEC) welcome QB Trinidad Chambliss and #9 Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1 in SEC) to DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium (FieldTurf) in Austin, Texas, for a big SEC game for both schools, who are both still in the CFP hunt (ABC, 7:30 ET/6:30 CT/4:30 PT).​

At Kalshi, QB Arch Manning (<1% chance to win the 2026 Heisman Trophy, Kalshi) and Texas (58%) are the traders' slight choice over Mississippi (42%) in the Ole Miss vs. Texas Winner market.​ Swing low, sweet cherry, make it awful, it's your party Texas, it's so awful... 

🔮Trading Thoughts: In the two series meetings—Texas was still in the Big 12 Conference—both schools have won and covered ATS on the road, with the Rebels winning 44-23 (TEX-2.5) in 2012, and Texas clobbering Ole Miss, 66-31 in Oxford (TEX -10.5) back in 2012 when we were young.​

​The Over went 2-0-0 in those two meetings, averaging 80.5 PPG, but these numbers were carved in stone back in 2012 when Bitcoin (BTC) was just $5.00, a gallon of gas was $3.60, and a large (14”) Lou Malnati’s deep dish “The Lou” pizza from Chicago was $22.95 (now $38.45+).​

The site here will weigh heavily, as will the reality that WR Cam Coleman and the Longhorns already have one loss (Oklahoma) and still have #16 Mississippi State (October 31), #13 Missouri (November 7), #22 LSU (November 14), and Texas A&M (November 28) left on the schedule.​

Chambliss (11 TD/4 INT) and Ole Miss (38.8 PPG, #22) should be able to score against the Texas defense (28.0 PPG, T-#108), so the big question may be how well the Mississippi defense (16.0 PPG, #21) can hold down what has been a disappointing Longhorns offense (31.4 PPG, #59).​

Texas is 37-12 SU at DKR this decade (2020-present), and the Longhorns have gone 3-1 at home in Austin this season, holding off formidable foe and then-#1 Ohio State, beating up on two cupcakes (Texas State, UTSA), before Florida handed the Horns their second straight loss last weekend.

🏈NCAAF Week 8 Saturday Night Side Pick: Ole Miss. Yes 42¢

➠”In the next edition of The Prediction Report, we will look at the El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid in Madrid on Saturday, update the 2026 Midterms, and sew together trading previews for UFC 333: Volkanovski vs. Evlava and the #6 Indiana-Michigan game in NCAAF on Saturday, along with the Bayern Munich-SC Freiburg German Bundesliga match and Seahawks-Chiefs interconference date in the NFL on Sunday.”

Ralphie Stott, Editor of the em Dashes and gerunds.