The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are the consensus favorites to win the World Series in a season that promises to be like no other in Major League history.
The Yankees and Dodgers are co-favorites at 7-2 to win the World Series on the Caesars Sportsbook. The Houston Astros are next at 11-1, followed by the Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins, who are 15-1 at Caesars.
On Tuesday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced a plan for a 60-game regular season that is expected to start on July 23 or July 24 and last until the end of September. The teams will play their four divisional opponents 10 times and five interleague opponents in the same geographic area four games each. The playoff format remains the same as in past seasons, with 10 teams, three division winners and two wild card teams from each league, reaching the postseason.
The condensed season and the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic make forecasts cautious with distant shots that might surprise.
“It would seem to me plausible that there is money for some of the longer-range and mid-range teams that could line up young lineups – think Toronto – or hot shot, young pitchers the league hasn’t seen much of yet,” Rex Beyers, gambler Caesars Sportsbook senior, he told ESPN.
In addition to the Blue Jays, Beyers singled out the Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies as examples of teams most likely to hope to attract betting interest. The Blue Jays are 75-1, the Rockies are 100-1, and the Tigers are 250-1 on the Caesars Sportsbook.
Some punters have already stabbed early on some long shots to win the World Series. Bookmaker William Hill US reported betting $ 1,000 on the San Francisco Giants at 125-1 and a $ 100 bet on the Baltimore Orioles at 1,000-1.
For now, however, the Yankees and Dodgers are the clear favorites. Both teams added superstars during the offseason, with starting pitcher Gerrit Cole going to the Yankees and right fielder Mookie Betts joining the Dodgers.
The defending champions of the Washington Nationals are 18-1, along with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, and Cincinnati Reds are each 20-1.
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