MLB Futures Betting: 2020 AL MVP odds, picks and best bets

Analyzing the baseball futures odds to be crowned the 2020 AL MVP, with MLB betting picks, tips and best bets.

The American League’s Most Valuable Player award will once again go through Los Angeles Angels OF Mike Trout, who has won the award three of the last six seasons. He’ll have some added competition this year following a busy MLB offseason. Here, we assess the MLB futures odds to win the 2020 AL MVP, with picks, tips and best bets.

2020 AL MVP Bets: Favorites

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Sunday, March 8 at 6 p.m. ET.

Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels (+150)

Trout is heavily favored to successfully defend his 2019 AL MVP crown. The Angels’ offseason signing of 3B Anthony Rendon helps surround Trout with the best supporting cast he’s had to date. L.A. has its sights set on its first postseason berth since 2014, and Trout will be able to add that MVP credential which has eluded him each of his last two award-winning seasons.


Baseball season is right around the corner! Get some action on this season with an MLB futures bet at BetMGM. Bet now!


Gleyber Torres, 2B, New York Yankees (+2500)

The Yankees are stacked with MVP candidates. OF Aaron Judge leads the group with +900 odds to rank second to Trout. 2B DJ LeMahieu (+4000), OF Giancarlo Stanton (+4000) and SP Gerrit Cole (+5000) are also able to win the award with their respective talents. The two outfielders both have injury concerns after missing a solid chunk of last season, however, while Torres has played 267 games over the last two seasons.

2020 AL MVP Bets: Contenders

Yasmani Grandal, C, Chicago White Sox (+5000)

Grandal was named an All-Star last season during his one-year stint with the Milwaukee Brewers. He helped get the best out of a patchwork starting rotation while hitting a career-high 28 home runs. His defense and offense will have plenty of room to shine on a White Sox club with high hopes in 2020. He’ll once again need to be a steady presence behind the plate to maximize the efforts of a young pitching staff.

Matt Olson, 1B, Oakland Athletics (+8000)

Olson excelled in the second half of last season with a .282 batting average, 17 home runs and 53 RBI across the final 69 games. The A’s will again be in playoff contention this season, and Olson will garner added attention down the stretch.

2020 AL MVP Bets: Long shots


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Austin Meadows, OF, Tampa Bay Rays (+12500)

Meadows hit 21 homers over his final 67 games of 2019 to finish the year with 33. He also stole 12 bases and slashed .291/.364/.558. The Rays are the No. 2 contenders in the AL East, behind the Yankees, and Meadows will get plenty of credit if the Rays can somehow overcome New York to win the division.

Alex Verdugo, OF, Boston Red Sox (+15000)

Verdugo hit 12 home runs and stole four bases over 106 MLB games with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year. He’ll have a spotlight on him all season as the key replacement for former Red Sox MVP OF Mookie Betts. He’d be a darling in the eyes of voters if he can keep the Red Sox in playoff contention following the much-criticized trade.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Verdugo to be named AL MVP at the end of the season would return a profit of $1,500.

Want some action on the 2020 MLB season or other sports? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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How many games will the Milwaukee Brewers win in 2020?

Analyzing the Milwaukee Brewers’ projected win total for the 2020 MLB season, along with their odds to win the NL Central and World Series.

The Milwaukee Brewers will take aim at a third straight trip to the postseason in 2020. A return to health for OF Christian Yelich will be the biggest key after he missed the final part of the 2019 campaign, including the National League Wild Card Game against the Washington Nationals. Today, we focus on the Brewers’ 2020 regular-season win total and World Series odds. Do the Brewers have what it takes? Let’s analyze:

Milwaukee Brewers 2019 wins

The Brewers finished 2019 at 89-73 and second in the NL Central behind the St. Louis Cardinals. They lost 4-3 to the eventual World Series champion Nationals in the single-game wild-card matchup in Washington.

Milwaukee finished the regular season with a plus-3 run differential, a home record of 49-32 and a 40-41 mark on the road.

Milwaukee Brewers offseason

The Brewers’ main offseason move was the trade acquisition of 2B Luis Urias from the San Diego Padres in exchange for OF Trent Grisham. They signed free agents Eric SogardJustin Smoak and Avisail Garcia. The starting rotation was largely untouched and will be the biggest question heading into the season.


Baseball season is right around the corner! Get some action on this season with an MLB futures bet at BetMGM. Bet now!


Milwaukee Brewers odds to win NL West division

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 1 p.m. ET.

The Brewers head into the season with the third-best odds to win the NL Central at +260. The St. Louis Cardinals (+210) remain the favorites, while the Chicago Cubs (+250) are expected to be back in the mix after a disappointing 2019 campaign. The upstart Cincinnati Reds are in the running at +380, but the Pittsburgh Pirates are heavy longshots at +6500.

The Brewers last won the division in 2018 and are a good bet in 2020 at nearly a 3-1 return on the investment after finishing just two games back of the Cards last season.

Milwaukee Brewers World Series odds

The Brewers have the second-longest odds to win the 2020 World Series among last season’s playoff teams at +2200. Only the Oakland Athletics, +2500, are viewed as bigger longshots to win it all.

It makes the Brewers a reasonable value, as teams like the Philadelphia Phillies (+1800) and New York Mets (+2000) have better odds after failing to qualify for the National League playoffs last year.

How many games will the Brewers win in 2020?

Take the OVER 83.5 (+110) at plus-money. The 2020 projection is 5.5 wins below the Brewers’ 2019 total, and they’re just two years removed from a 96-win 2018 campaign, which saw them capture the NL Central title.

Manager Craig Counsell proved to be one of the best in the game at handling pitching usage last year. Look for it to be another strength of the Brewers in 2020.

Want some action on the MLB season or other sports? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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How many games will the San Diego Padres win in 2020?

Analyzing the San Diego Padres’ projected win total for the 2020 MLB season, along with their odds to win the NL West and World Series.

The San Diego Padres look to finally take a significant step forward in 2020 in their quest to make the MLB postseason for the first time since 2006. Manager Jayce Tingler will lead a squad flush with young, top prospects with several notable additions made over the offseason. Today, we focus on the Padres’ 2020 regular-season win total and World Series odds. Do the Padres have what it takes? Let’s analyze:

San Diego Padres 2019 wins

The Padres struggled to a 70-92 finish in 2019 after landing prized free-agent addition 3B Manny Machado last winter. They finished last in the National League West for the third time in four years and were 19 games back of the final wild-card spot in the NL. They were 36-45 at home at 34-47 on the road.

San Diego Padres offseason

The Padres open 2020 with a new-look outfield. Tommy Pham was acquired via trade from the Tampa Bay Rays and Trent Grisham joins the Friars from the Milwaukee Brewers. Wil Myers is the only returning member expected to have a starting role.

SP Zach Davis also came over from the Brewers and RP Emiliano Pagan was part of a separate trade with the Rays. INF Jurickson Profar was brought over from the Oakland Athletics.

Machado and youngsters Fernando Tatis Jr.Francisco Mejia and Ty France will be also counted on to lead the Padres to the promised land.


Baseball season is right around the corner! Get some action on this season with an MLB futures bet at BetMGM. Bet now!


San Diego Padres odds to win NL West division

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Lines last updated at Friday at 12:20 p.m. ET.

The Padres have the third-best odds to win their division at +1200. They trail the Los Angeles Dodgers (-1000) and Arizona Diamondbacks (+1000) and are well ahead of the Colorado Rockies (+5000) and San Francisco Giants (+10000). They haven’t won the division since going back-to-back in 2005 and 2006, and they haven’t even finished second since 2010.

Leave the Dodgers be as commanding favorites in the NL West. The Padres’ best route to the postseason will be via the wild-card race.

San Diego Padres World Series odds

Pitching will be the biggest question for the Padres this season after failing to land one of the marquee No. 1 starters available in free agency this winter. They’re entering the season with +4000 odds to win the 2020 World Series, putting them on par with the division-rival Diamondbacks and ahead of the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays (+6600).

The Padres will need everything to go right for their rotation to hold up through the full season, but the offense is stacked with depth at every key position. The bullpen is another strength to begin the season and will allow Tingler to get creative with his pitcher usage. The Padres are a great value pick and bettors shouldn’t be looking at longer odds.

How many games will the Padres win in 2020?

The Padres’ win total is set at 82.5 to begin the 2020 season. The 83 wins needed to hit the Over would be their most since the aforementioned 2010 campaign when they went 90-72. Still, the OVER 82.5 (-132) is the bet to make for what should be one of MLB’s most-improved teams this season.

Want some action on the MLB season or other sports? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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How many games will the Colorado Rockies win in 2020?

Analyzing the Colorado Rockies’ projected win total for the 2020 MLB season, along with their odds to win the NL West and World Series.

The Colorado Rockies are set to begin the 2020 MLB season with star 3B Nolan Arenado still on roster, following an offseason filled with trade rumors. They seek their third playoff berth in four seasons. Today, we focus on the Rockies’ 2020 regular-season win total and World Series odds. Do the Rockies have what it takes? Let’s analyze:

Colorado Rockies 2019 wins

As per usual, the Rockies used Coors Field to their advantage in 2019. They went 43-38 at home, but just 28-53 on the road to finish 71-91 on the year.

They were 35 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the division crown and finished 18 games back of a wild-card spot. Only three National League teams scored more runs than the Rockies’ 835, but they still finished with a minus-123 run differential with 958 runs allowed.

Colorado Rockies offseason

Colorado brings back much of the same lineup for 2020 and will again be led by manager Bud Black.

While Arenado remains a part of the team to begin the season, it seems inevitable a trade will take place at some point as the Rockies head toward a rebuild.


Baseball season is right around the corner! Get some action on this season with an MLB futures bet at BetMGM. Bet now!


Colorado Rockies odds to win NL West division

The Rockies have the fourth-best odds to win the NL West at +5000.

They trail the Dodgers (-1000), Arizona Diamondbacks (+1000) and San Diego Padres (+1200), while leading the San Francisco Giants (+10000). Colorado isn’t a smart bet following a fourth-place finish in the division last season and with three better teams ahead of them in the odds.

Colorado Rockies World Series odds

Only seven teams have longer odds than the Rockies’ +15000 to win the 2020 World Series.

Colorado still hasn’t won a World Series since entering MLB in 1993 and this will be the 13th season since it was swept by the Boston Red Sox in its only World Series appearance in 2007. There isn’t much to like about any of the longshots in this tier and the Rockies are too risky with their best player cycling on and off the trade block.

How many games will the Rockies win in 2020?

The Rockies’ 2020 win total is set at 73.5, which is 2.5 wins above their total from last season.

Both the Over and Under are being given equal -110 odds, but I’m taking UNDER 73.5 (-110) with the threat of Arenado leaving part-way through the season and others likely to follow him out the door ahead of the trade deadline. It’s just too tough to see a notable improvement from Colorado in 2020 with so much that can lead to further decline.

Want some action on the MLB season or other sports? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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2020 World Series: MLB futures betting odds, picks and best bets

Analyzing the 2020 World Series betting odds, with MLB futures picks, tips and best bets.

Major League Baseball spring training is just around the corner so it’s time to dive into the 2020 World Series odds and make our picks and best bets for who’ll be crowned MLB champions in late October or early November. Here’s a look at four teams with a chance to overthrow the Washington Nationals and become 2020 World Series champs.

2020 World Series favorites

Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies. (Photo Credit: Jeff Curry – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Atlanta Braves (+800)

The Braves won a second straight National League East crown in 2019, but both seasons ended in disappointing NLDS losses. Last year’s early exit can be blamed largely on an injury to star 1B Freddie Freeman hampering the team’s offensive output. While 3B Josh Donaldson was allowed to leave via free agency this offseason, OF Marcell Ozuna was added and bolsters the offense.

Cole Hamels was the marquee addition to the pitching staff. The veteran cements a rotation led by Mike Soroka (21 years old), Mike Foltynewicz (27) and Max Fried (25). It would be best to monitor the Braves’ odds over the first 1-2 months of the season in hopes of catching a higher number if they get off to a slow start.

New to sports betting? A $10 futures bet on the Braves to win the 2020 World Series would return a profit of $80 should the Braves win it all.

Minnesota Twins (+1400)

The Twins landed Donaldson in free agency, and add him to a group that led MLB with 307 home runs in 2019. Pitching will again be the biggest question mark for the reigning AL Central champs.

The Twins’ path to the division crown remains relatively clear. The Cleveland Indians have taken a step back following the departures of starters Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer, while the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers all have a long way to go to get into contention after finishing no fewer than 28.5 games back of the Twins last year.


Place a sports bet on the 2020 World Series winner at BetMGM.


2020 World Series longshots

Angels slugger Mike Trout. (Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox – USA TODAY Sports)

Los Angeles Angels (+3300)

Mike Trout should finally return to the postseason for the first time since the 2014 ALDS, and for just the second time in the three-time MVP’s career. Offseason additions of 3B Anthony Rendon, and SPs Julio Teheran and Dylan Bundy surround him with the best supporting cast he’s had to date.

Dual-threat Shohei Ohtani will also return to full health and has been cleared to lead the pitching staff.

San Diego Padres (+4000)

The Padres stand to be one of baseball’s most improved teams this year following additions of OF Tommy Pham and INF Jurickson Profar. Young prospects Fernando Tatis Jr. and Francisco Mejia have also graduated to full-time roles and will be big factors this season.

San Diego missed out on a much-needed top-tier starter in free agency, meaning the young Chris Paddack will lead a steady stable of veterans including Garrett Richards and Zach Davies. They’re stuck in the elite NL West, but they’ll push for a wild-card spot behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Want some action the 2020 World Series? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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