There have been a limited number of events to bet on the past couple of months. This has made bettors more than excited about the announcement of MLB finally agreeing to a 60-game schedule for the 2020 season.
Sportsbooks immediately looked to future bets for the season. BetMGM spokeswoman Elisa Richardson even said they received a $15,000 bet on the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the World Series.
The Yankees have quickly become a big liability for many sportsbooks. They are just behind the Dodgers in odds and have a real chance to win it all this year.
PointsBet spokesman Patrick Eichner told The Action Network that Yankees bets represent 40% of the book’s liability. At DraftKings, the Yankees are representing even more than that.
DraftKings said the Yankees, at +400 odds, represent 49% of the handle and 37% of total bets. This is all according to DraftKings spokesperson Stephen Miraglia.
“The Dodgers and Yankees were always going to remain favorites, but the shortened season should give longer shots an improved chance at a World Series title than they would have had over a 162-game season,” said Brett Collson, betting analyst at TheLines.com. “The 60-game season adds more variance and randomness to the sport, creating the possibility of some major upsets in the fall. We expect the lines will be quite fluid as more details of baseball’s proposal become known.”
So, if the Yankees come out as champs, many sportsbooks will be paying out plenty of tickets. However, anything can happen in this shortened format. Remember, the World Series champion Nationals had a losing record after 60 games last season.
Other Hot Bets
It seems there are several bets that wouldn’t be bad to make for the profit. All it takes is for a team to get hot. The Chicago Cubs at over +3000 and the Tampa Bay Rays just the same, they might deserve a look to get hot in September.
New York is receiving plenty of betting action, but not all for the pinstripes. The second team with the most bets is the New York Mets. They currently sit at around +2500 to win it all.
MVP Bets
The Dodgers not only have the best odds to win it all, but they also hold the odds-on favorite to win MVP. Former Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts is the favorite to win the NL MVP in the shortened season.
Las Vegas got things sorted out after the announcement of the 60-game season. There were several future bets that had to be refunded, because this year, there won’t be a 100 win team.
“World Series and pennant futures are still alive because we still expect them to crown champions,” Westgate sportsbook director John Murray said. “There’s going to be an American League champ, a National League champ, and a World Series champ.”
With so much still standing, it will be an interesting summer and fall for the MLB. The Yankees and Dodgers have eyes on them to stay on top, but the abnormal season provides for plenty of different outcomes.