Tag: MLB

MLB Futures Betting: 2020 World Series odds, picks and best bets

Predicting who will win the 2020 World Series, with MLB futures betting odds, picks and best bets.

The MLB futures odds for the 2020 World Series were shaken up again last week when the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a blockbuster trade centered upon former AL MVP OF Mookie Betts. After a lengthy delay and a reworked deal which eventually saw the Minnesota Twins acquire SP Kenta Maeda in a separate trade with the Dodgers, we’re now set for spring training to begin Friday, Feb. 21. Below, we’ll look at the 2020 World Series odds, with MLB futures betting picks and tips.

2020 World Series favorites

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, left, poses for photos with manager Aaron Boone at Legends Club at Yankee Stadium. (Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated Tuesday at 1:40 p.m. ET.

New York Yankees (+350)

The Yankees, who had their 2019 season end with an American League Championship Series loss to the Houston Astros, head into 2020 as convincing favorites. They’re back to near full-health after a season that saw most regular starters spend a significant portion of the season on the injured list.

They also landed SP Gerrit Cole as the prize fish in free agency. He cements a rotation that ranked just 14th in baseball with a 4.31 ERA last season. It will be best to HOLD OFF on placing a bet on the Yankees, however, as SPs Domingo German (suspension) and James Paxton (injury) are both expected to miss the first half of the season. Hope for a poor start for the Bronx Bombers and jump on a double-digit number in May.

Los Angeles Dodgers (+400)

The Dodgers continue to retool in their quest to overcome postseason failures and win their first World Series since 1988. Betts joins a talented outfield with A.J. Pollock and Cody Bellinger, while Joc Pederson is set to open the season as the fourth outfielder following the failed trade with the Los Angeles Angels.

They’ll need a bounce-back season from LHP David Price, who was also acquired in the Betts deal. Still, he’s more than capable of being at least a steady No. 3 starter behind Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers are the heaviest favorites of any team to win their division at -1000 to win the NL West. This may be the best number they’ll have all season.

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

2020 World Series longshots

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Trevor Bauer (27) throws against the New York Mets during the first inning at Great American Ball Park. (Photo Credit: David Kohl – USA TODAY Sports)

Cincinnati Reds (+3000)

The Reds head into the season with just the fourth-best odds to win the NL Central at +380. They trail the St. Louis Cardinals (+210), Chicago Cubs (+250) and Milwaukee Brewers (+260). These odds are likely to correct early in 2020 after the Reds went just 75-87 last season.

OF Nicholas Castellanos and 2B Mike Moustakas punch up the lineup, while SP Wade Miley and a full season of Trevor Bauer stock the rotation behind ace Luis Castillo. The bullpen should also be one of the best in baseball.

Chicago White Sox (+3300)

The White Sox have a great advantage by playing in what’s likely to be the weakest division in MLB once again. The Cleveland Indians no longer look like contenders and trade rumors continue to swirl around star SS Francisco Lindor. The ChiSox will need the Twins to fall back to Earth after an offensive explosion last season to have a shot at the AL Central crown. They’re a strong bet to win the division at +350.

On their own merit, the White Sox finally succeeded in adding some star power in free agency – 1B Edwin Encarnacion, C Yasmani Grandal, SP Dallas Keuchel – and traded for OF Nomar Mazara. Top prospects Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert are also expected to play significant roles and be top contributors this season.

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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Joe Maddon opens up about end of five-year tenure with Cubs

Before Joe Maddon starts spring training as the new manager of the L.A. Angels, he’s opening up about the end of his five-year tenure with the Chicago Cubs.

Before Joe Maddon starts spring training as the new manager of the L.A. Angels, he’s opening up about the end of his five-year tenure with the Chicago Cubs.

An MLB playoff expansion will only help energize the (mostly boring) regular season

MLB fans are furious at the proposed changes, but would it really be that bad to have more teams trying to win?

ESPN dropped news this week of reported changes to the MLB postseason that the league was considering.

The proposal would see an expansion to the number playoff teams, with seven qualifying from the AL and NL respectively, for a total of 14 teams. From there, the higher seeds would actually pick their opponents in the postseason.

The picking of these opponents, according to the report, would happen on live television the final Sunday night of the MLB season.

There are currently five teams from each league which qualify for the postseason, with two teams playing a one-game Wild Card playoff to advance to the divisional series.

Via ESPN:

MLB is considering a move in which each league would have three division winners and four wild-card teams making the postseason starting in 2022, sources said. The best team in the league would receive a bye into the division series. The two remaining division winners and the wild-card team with the best record of the four would each host all games of a best-of-three series in the opening round.

On top of that, there are the wrinkles which would allow teams to pick their opponent, a playground-rules style upgrade to the game that would certainly give the team picked first a ton of bulletin board material, at the very least.

MLB fans lost their minds at the suggestion. Like, all of them did. Even younger, progressive minded baseball fans lost it.

I’m here to suggest: Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad?

First off, I think this is a ploy by MLB to implement incremental change. Leak a wild, over-the-top plan, then when they scale it back (no pick-your-opponent nonsense) it seems more reasonable and people can get behind it.

Still, I know fans will hate this. And I get it: Baseball is inherently conservative. History is important. Playoffs should be special.

But I dunno, I like MLB playoffs, and I think more of them would be good. Maybe that makes me an idiot, a true baseball simpleton. Which, sure. Maybe that’s true. But to me, the idiot man, the stakes feel more real in the postseason. For a sport whose season is interminable, playoffs bring everything into sharp focus.

And part of the beauty of baseball is that, once a team gets into the playoffs, it actually has a shot to advance to a World Series and win the thing. A couple starting pitchers get going, a bullpen comes alive, a few hitters come up clutch, and a team can make a run.

That’s exciting! That’s fantastic! More teams equals more chances for a magic run to happen. This would actually give MLB an advantage over a league like the NBA, which has 16 playoff teams and it’s mostly meaningless because you know two of like four possible teams will make the finals.

I know smart writers have argued this would reward mediocrity. I don’t know — I think it would reward “actually giving a hoot and going for it.”

The biggest argument in favor of playoff expansion is trying to even the scales between “teams actually trying to win a lot of baseball games” and “teams folding it up and trading away assets for a rebuild.” Right now, you know about a third of the way through the season who’s actually trying to win a World Series, and quite often, more teams than not aren’t a part of that list.

That sucks. It’s disheartening for fans, and the Moneyball cosplay of  “ooh what assets can we get in return for our star shortstop” is not as fun as some pundits want to believe it is.

In a perfect world, teams would operate in good faith and actually try to, you know, win. But that’s not happening, so MLB needs to take measures to make this whole thing more exciting for more fanbases.

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Mookie Betts trade on hold as Red Sox review medical records

According to a report from The Athletic, the medical records for Brusdar Graterol – a pitcher with a history of injuries, including Tommy John – have the Red Sox projecting him as a reliever, not a starter, therefore changing his value in the blockbuster trade.

According to a report from The Athletic, the medical records for Brusdar Graterol – a pitcher with a history of injuries, including Tommy John – have the Red Sox projecting him as a reliever, not a starter, therefore changing his value in the blockbuster trade.

WATCH: Pete Rose asks for reinstatement, citing Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal

Pete Rose is asking MLB commissioner Rob Manfred for another chance.

Pete Rose is asking MLB commissioner Rob Manfred for another chance.

USA Today Sports is reporting that Rose and his representation sent a 19-page letter to Manfred on Wednesday, asking for his name to be removed from MLB’s ineligible list. He was banned for life from baseball in 1989 for betting on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds.

Rose’s argument points to the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal and Manfred’s hesitance to punish active players for their participation in a scheme that almost certainly changed the outcome of games.

Here’s an excerpt of the letter sent to Manfred from Rose’s representation:

“However, in recent years, intentional and covert acts by current and past owners, managers, coaches, and players altered the outcomes of numerous games, including the World Series, and illegally enhanced both team and player performance. It has never been suggested, let alone established, that any of Mr. Rose’s actions influenced the outcome of any game or the performance of any player. Yet for the thirty-first year and counting, he continues to suffer a punishment vastly disproportionate to those who have done just that.”

Rose petitioned Manfred to be reinstated in 2015 but was denied. If Rose were to be reinstated, he would be eligible for consideration for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Twitter crushed the Red Sox for trading Mookie Betts to the Dodgers in blockbuster deal

The Red Sox traded away their best player on Tuesday night.

The Boston Red Sox, who currently don’t even have a manager, put the finishing touches on a dreadful offseason Tuesday night when they agreed on a trade that will send Mookie Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

This deal instantly makes the Dodgers one of the favorites to win the World Series while it makes the Red Sox the favorites to be looking up to the Yankees in the AL East for years to come.

Betts was the AL MVP in 2018, a year in which he helped lead Boston to a World Series win over the Dodgers.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale has more details on the deal:

The Dodgers, Red Sox and Minnesota Twins have agreed on a three-team trade that will send outfielder Mookie Betts and starter David Price to Los Angeles, according to an official with direct knowledge of the discussions.

The official spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet finalized.

Boston’s return package will include outfielder Alex Verdugo from Los Angeles as well as pitching prospect Brusdal Graterol from the Twins. Minnesota will get right-handed pitcher Kenta Maeda from the Dodgers.

Twitter and Red Sox fans crushed the Red Sox:

Phillies will retire Roy Halladay’s No. 34 on 10-year anniversary of perfect game

The Philadelphia Phillies announced on Tuesday that this May, on the 10-year anniversary of Roy Halladay’s perfect game, the Phillies will retire Halladay’s No. 34.

The Philadelphia Phillies announced on Tuesday that this May, on the 10-year anniversary of Roy Halladay’s perfect game, the Phillies will retire Halladay’s No. 34.

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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Alex Rodriguez danced along with fans on the field during fiance Jennifer Lopez’s Super Bowl Halftime show

He had so much fun.

The slightly bad news: for anyone hoping to see Alex Rodriguez do something funny or sweet in front of the cameras during Jennifer Lopez’s awesome halftime show at Super Bowl 54, he wasn’t seen (and that’s fine! The show belonged to J. Lo and Shakira!).

The really good news: Rodriguez helped us all out anyway and posted a video to Twitter in which he showed what he was doing during the show. He joined the crowd on the field and danced around joyfully. He added “She ABSOLUTELY CRUSHED IT!” continuing to be the most supportive future husband.

Here’s the video:

Looks like he’s having a good time overall:

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