MLB Opening Day odds and betting lines: Thursday, July 23, 2020

The MLB 2020 season kicks off with a two-game slate, highlighted by the Washington Nationals hosting the New York Yankees.

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After a long delay, the 2020 MLB regular season is here and we have the Opening Day MLB odds and betting lines to prove it.

The action begins on this year’s 60-game season Thursday, July 23, at 7:08 p.m. ET when the defending champion Washington Nationals host the New York Yankees.

MLB odds and betting lines

Odds via BetMGM, last updated Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET.

New York Yankees (-139) at Washington Nationals (+125)

  • Run total: 7.5 (Over: -110, Under -110)
  • Run Spread: Yankees -1.5, +115/Nationals +1.5, -139

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San Francisco Giants (+250) at Los Angeles Dodgers (-286)

  • Run total: 8 (Over: -110, Under -110)
  • Run Spread: Dodgers -1.5, -129/Giants +1.5, +105

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2020 World Series Futures Betting: 3 sleeper bets to consider

Analyzing the 2020 World Series futures odds, with a look at three MLB sleeper teams worth a bet to win it all.

Players have reported to the league’s 30 spring training sites and Cactus League and Grapefruit League games are just around the corner. Let’s take a look at the MLB futures board and identify some sleepers worth a bet to win the 2020 World Series.

2020 World Series bets: New York Mets (+2000)

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. ET.

This is a nice price on a club that played .639 baseball (46-26) after the All-Star break last season. The Mets averaged a robust 5.2 runs per game over those final 72 games. Most of the pieces of that run-scoring puzzle are back — the biggest piece is 2019 NL Rookie of the Year Pete Alonso – and the offense is supported by solid pitching. A starting rotation which includes NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Marcus Stroman is supported by a decent bullpen, and one that added Dellin Betances this offseason.

Analytics reveal a Mets squad whose 86 wins in 2019 don’t reflect a talent base which was closer to a 90-win level. More can be expected this season. A tough NL East is somewhat buoying these odds, and that’s fair, but in most permutations of a 2020 season playing out, something like a +1500 price would be more on target.

2020 World Series bets: Cincinnati Reds (+3000)


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All except the Pittsburgh Pirates could win the NL Central in 2020. Cincinnati’s offseason could best be described as shrewd and sneaky-aggressive with an eye toward winning ball games this season. Cincinnati was among the most active clubs this offseason. Free-agent additions Mike Moustakas and Nicholas Castellanos should help the Reds offense, and pitching is a team strength.

A ball club which under-performed on its runs and runs allowed won 75 games a year ago. A moderate amount of luck and some momentum playing out differently, and the Reds could well have won 84 games. Eighty-two or 83 wins is the real starting point for analyzing 2020, and that’s a solid base in an even division with a bottom feeder. In other words, those extra wins aren’t unattainable. St. Louis and Milwaukee won 91 and 89 games last year, respectively. Expect both to fall back a bit, and the Reds can be there to pick up the pieces and move forward.

2020 World Series bets: Minnesota Twins (+1400)

The Twins head into this season as the favorites to win the AL Central, but with the juggernaut Houston Astros and New York Yankees expected to continue their winning ways, Minnesota’s odds get squeezed a bit. A year ago, the Twins won 101 games and won the Central by eight games. Expect more of a challenge from the Cleveland Indians this season (they were a consideration for this slot but their +2200 price doesn’t bake in as much value).

The Twins were a bit too far over their skis in winning 101 games in 2019, but an otherwise quiet offseason was highlighted by the addition of 3B Josh Donaldson. Signing Donaldson moves another big bat — Miguel Sano — to first base, and it gives the Twins a solid, balanced lineup. The bullpen should be solid. It’s the starting rotation that brings the most question marks. José Berríos and Jake Odorizzi front a group that can at least get the Twins to the postseason. Having to get by the Astros or Yankees is what lifts the odds up over 10-1.

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 @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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2020 World Series Futures Betting: 5 teams to bet

Analyzing the odds to win the 2020 World Series, with a look at five MLB teams with the best chances to win the title.

The 2020 MLB season is right around the corner and all 30 teams technically have a chance to be the last ones standing come October, but there are some with much greater odds than others. Here are five teams we’d bet to win the 2020 World Series, balancing the likelihood of winning it all and their relative futures odds.

2020 World Series bets to make: New York Yankees (+350)

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 5:30 p.m. ET.

The Yankees were bounced by the Houston Astros in the ALCS last year, the second time in three seasons Houston beat New York in the American League Championship Series. The Yankees led the league in runs, but their biggest weakness was the pitching staff, which combined for an ERA of 4.31.

They addressed that issue by landing SP Gerrit Cole in free agency, adding him to a rotation also featuring Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino and J.A. Happ – as well as James Paxton and Domingo German, who will return midseason.

The Yankees have arguably the best lineup in baseball with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu. If Cole doesn’t flop in the hitter’s paradise that is Yankee Stadium, and Severino can stay relatively healthy, the Yankees should have no trouble making the playoffs with their lineup. Even as the odds-on favorites, they’re a good bet to break through after three years of coming up just short.

2020 World Series bets make: Los Angeles Dodgers (+400)

The Dodgers are essentially the Yankees of the National League. They boast a star-studded lineup that just added OF Mookie Betts via trade with the Boston Red Sox, as well as a deep pitching staff with Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler at the top. David Price joined the rotation, too.

They’ve come close to winning a championship in the last seven years, winning the NL West each time, reaching the World Series twice and losing in the NLCS two times. They have the second-best odds to win it all this season and considering how consistent they’ve been this decade – at least 91 wins in seven straight years – they’re a great bet to win the division and make a deep playoff run.

Their lineup is a murderer’s row of sluggers, while Kenley Jansen is the shutdown closer needed to win in October.

2020 World Series bets to make: Washington Nationals (+1400)

The defending World Series champions are only tied for the fifth-best odds in their quest to repeat, which no team has done since the Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000. The fact they play in the daunting NL East doesn’t help their chances, needing to go up against the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves all year.


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The loss of 3B Anthony Rendon to free agency hurts a lot, but OF Juan Soto is a star, Trea Turner is an outstanding shortstop when healthy and the rotation can rival any in MLB.

Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin can carry the Nats back to the postseason, where pitching typically reigns supreme. There are questions in the bullpen, but those can be sorted out at the trade deadline, if necessary.

2020 World Series bets to make: New York Mets (+2000)

The Mets weren’t supposed to be this good this quickly, but after winning 86 games in 2019, they look like contenders in the NL East. That’s primarily because of their pitching staff, which is led by Jacob deGrom, of course, as well as Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman.

Pete Alonso headlines the batting order, but Michael Conforto is poised for a big year and Wilson Ramos is one of the top catchers in baseball. As somewhat of a longshot, it’s worth putting some money on the Mets to win the World Series – even with as bad as they’ve been since the turn of the century.

2020 World Series bets to make: Chicago White Sox (+3300)

If you really want to set yourself up to cash in, look at the White Sox in the AL Central. Yes, the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians pose threats to the White Sox’s potential breakthrough season, but the added benefit of beating up on the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals helps their chances.

The White Sox have a ton of talent in their lineup, including Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson, Jose Abreu and Eloy Jimenez. The veteran additions of Yasmani Grandal and Edwin Encarnacion provide juice in the middle, too.

The rotation is admittedly lacking top-end starters, but Lucas Giolito, Dallas Kuechel and Gio Gonzalez are proven in this league. Reynaldo Lopez was good in the second half of last season, improving his ERA from 6.34 to 4.29.

A lot needs to go right for Chicago to win the World Series, but the talent – particularly with its bats – is there.

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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2020 World Series Futures Betting: 3 teams not worth a bet

Analyzing the 2020 World Series futures odds, with a look at three MLB teams not worthy of a bet heading into the season.

The 2020 World Series futures odds are just about set as we prepare to head into the MLB regular season. The odds will continue to be adjusted throughout the spring, summer and fall until the 2020 world champions are crowned. Below, we analyze the 2020 World Series odds and highlight three popular MLB futures bets to avoid.

World Series bets to avoid: New York Yankees (+350)

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. ET.

A $10 bet on the Yankees to win the 2020 World Series at +350 would return a profit of just $35 roughly nine months from now if the Bronx Bombers were to win it all. New York was able to cruise to a 103-59 record and top spot in the American League in 2019, despite injuries ravaging nearly the entire starting lineup at different points throughout the regular season. Much of the same lineup returns to health entering the 2020 campaign, and the Yankees landed the top prize of free agency in SP Gerrit Cole.

While Cole and a return to health for SP Luis Severino boost the starting rotation and strengthen the entire pitching staff behind a dominant offense, SPs James Paxton (injury) and Domingo German (suspension) are both expected to miss at least the first half of the season. OF Aaron Judge is also dealing with a sore shoulder to start spring training.

Hold off on placing your bets on the Yankees in hopes of more profitable odds in a few months, should they get off to a slow start. The current number is unlikely to go any lower until closer to playoff time.

World Series bets to avoid: Houston Astros (+550)

Whether they know what pitches are coming or not, the Astros are still loaded with talent, even with the loss of Cole to free agency. Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke will lead the rotation, while Lance McCullers returns after a lost season.


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Much like with the Yankees, the expectation is for the Astros to have more profitable odds in May or June. Star hitters Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa are likely to be berated with questions over the sign-stealing scandal on a daily basis and it will loom as a distraction in the early part of the season should they show any sign of early struggles. These odds will become more profitable before they drop any lower.

World Series bets to avoid: Cincinnati Reds (+3000)

The Reds have been one of the busiest teams of the MLB offseason. As usual with the offseason champions, the hype is at a high for a team that hasn’t made the postseason since 2013. The Reds haven’t won a playoff series since 1995, and their lost World Series appearance and title was in 1990.

The roster was bolstered with the additions of Nicholas CastellanosMike Moustakas and Wade Miley this offseason, but everything will still need to go right for last year’s fourth-place finishers in the National League Central. The St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers aren’t quite the insurmountable hurdles they’ve been in recent years, but they still enter the league with the more proven rosters and as incumbent favorites in the division.

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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