A new baseball season is upon us and with it, one of the great moments of the season to predict the teams that will lead the way.
Below, we’ll dig deeper a little deeper into the wagering numbers that will reveal which teams have the most MLB futures buzz as we kick the dust off the diamonds for the 2014 season.
World Series Top Bets
Favorites Over Everything
The New York Yankees aren’t the favorites to win the 2014 World Series, odds-wise, but they are the overwhelming choice by the betting public to do so. Of the 30 teams in the majors, the Yankees got the most action on the futures with 13% of bettors laying money on them.
The Bronx Bombers charmed the public after having an expensive offseason, in which they spent close to $500 million in player acquisitions. The Yankees currently have a price of +1,000, with bettors wagering an average amount of $28. In other words, if the Yankees end up as the 2014 World Series champions, those bettors stand to cash in an average of $280 each.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Also garnering lots of action have been the “Yankees of the West”, the LA Dodgers. The Dodgers are backed by 10% of bettors, who were encouraged by LA’s terrifying pitching rotation fronted by Clayton Kershaw, and followed by Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Dodgers’ bettors have bet an average of $51 on odds of +550 for this team to win its first World Series title since 1988 this season.
Meanwhile, eight percent of bettors feel that the Detroit Tigers will finally get over the hump that has obstructed them from winning the World Series in the last three seasons. These bettors invested in the Tigers despite seeing Prince Fielder get traded for Ian Kinsler and knowing that Doug Fister was exchanged for a trio of head-scratching names.
Offseason Winners Take Flight
The poster team of this past offseason is arguably the Seattle Mariners, after they caught the biggest fish of the free agent market in Robinson Cano. The team is considered a longshot to win the World Series (+3,000), but it did not deter 5% of total futures bettors from laying their money on Seattle. The Mariners finished near the bottom of MLB in runs, batting average, OBP, and SLG last season, but the addition of Cano, Logan Morrison, and Corey Hart should bring those numbers up in 2014.
Another team that has caught the attention of bettors is the Washington Nationals. The Nats gave up almost nothing for the services of Fister, who adds depth to an already-menacing rotation that includes Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, and Gio Gonzalez. Last season, Washington finished eighth overall in ERA (3.59) and 13th in batting average against (.249). The +900-priced Nationals have its bettors hoping that their average bet of $62 will spell a return to the payout window come October.
Last to Be Picked
While there are teams that bettors are flocking to, there are also clubs like the Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, and Miami Marlins. A combined three bettors courageously pinned their hopes these teams to somehow rise from the cellar and win the 2014 World Series. Of these teams, three lost at least 99 games last season.
Meanwhile, bettors on the Toronto Blue Jays showed they aren’t fooling around about their fandom. The AL East’s worst team last season stayed quiet this offseason but still attracted the largest average futures bet at $152 per bet.
The season has a very long way to go – we are just one (real) day into a 2,430 game season. Teams at the top may flounder midway through the season, while others at the bottom could suddenly catch fire and win a bulk of games. That’s why it can never hurt to check out Top Bet’s World Series futures odds. And remember: you can bet on any teams’ odds at any point of the regular season!
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