Major League Baseball's Opening Day is Just Two Weeks Away
The new season will begin on April 7th and conclude on October 5th
LA Dodgers are the betting favorites, but should they be?
New York teams overrated again – take 2 of top 5 betting spots
Let's agree that everybody is upset with Major League Baseball right now. We, the fans, are still pissed off.
At – the owners. The Players. The business side of sports. The greed. The stupidity.
The last thing baseball needed right now as another dumb move that could turn away a dwindling fan base and dampen enthusiasm for the new season. But here we are. The 2022 Major League Baseball season is just two weeks away. Opening Day is April 7th.
That means there's money to be made betting on baseball. Moreover, the delay could shake up previous projections since continuity is difficult to achieve with so much turnover in personnel. It was a busy offseason of trades and free agent signings.
What does this mean for futures bets in baseball?
First, let's take a look at the favourites to win the World Series, which will be played late into October, this fall. Here are the odds according to Spreads.ca:
A Few Thoughts:
The Atlanta Braves don't get any respect.
The defending 2021 World Series champions barely register a blip on the radar screen of bettors. The Braves rank as the 6th betting choice, according to preseason odds.
As is often the case, the two New York teams – the Yankees and Mets – are perpetually overvalued by betting markets. Inexplicably, the Yanks are 10-1 and the crosstown Mets are 11-1. Those numbers are insane.
Meanwhile, the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers probably do deserve going off as the early favourites, especially given their potent lineup and stellar pitching staff. The 2020 champs are 6-1 at the moment.
No doubt, the Houston Astros deserve to be in the conversation as one of the top five teams in the majors. Houston is 11-1.
For Canadian baseball fans, Toronto is the real shocker. They've been bet from 13-1 (opening as the sixth choice in futures betting) to the second choice, at 9.5-1.
So far as solid teams that have fallen off in the public eye, check out the odds on Boston and San Francisco. Despite being near the top of the win-loss standings, the Red Sox garner just 23-1 odds. Bettors are even less impressed with the Giants, which are 29-1 at SPREADS.CA.
As for longshots, a few early candidates that look attractively priced are the LA Angels, who return with a healthy lineup after a season filled with injuries. They're listed at 41-1. If you really want a longshot, also check out the other teams in the AL West, Oakland. Often underrated by the market, this season the A's are 121-1.
We'll have more thoughts on baseball and betting as we get closer to the Major League Baseball season.
