With the calendar turning to spring and the ground starting to thaw (hopefully), that means the return of baseball. Starting Thursday, the 162-game fight for the Commissioner’s Trophy begins across America.
2019 marks the first season in which bettors can wager all season on MLB. While your team may not win the pennant or even be trying to stay competitive all year, doesn’t mean you can’t rack up the Ws with some sharp picks.
Books are excited to offer futures bets in addition to the daily lines. Let’s take a look at some high-demand options on the boards, and where to get the best prices in New Jersey.
Team options
New Jersey has become a battleground for baseball in the last decade. Fan bases are split geographically, probably using I-195 as the border. South are Phillies fans, with Yankees and Mets fans (far more Yankees fan right now) controlling the north and central portions of the Garden State.
The two most beloved teams are also two of the biggest favorites on the futures markets. The Yanks will start the season as the first choice to win the World Series at +600 odds. Some books have them lower.
The Phillies are second choice among National League teams to win it all at +1000. However, a couple locations are offering better odds on the Fightins. FanDuel Sportsbook has them at +1200, while William Hill offers +1100 for the Phillies to win their third World Series.
After giving ace Jacob DeGrom a monster extension, things might be looking up in Queens. However, the Metropolitans aren’t strong favorites to win the World Series. Prices range from 18/1 at William Hill to 25/1 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Bronx Bombers are projected with a win total at most books at 97. Resorts and FanDuel are giving a half-game extra value to the over (Resorts has the best price at -110). Caesars gives a half-game extra value to the under (at -110 each way). FanDuel has the best price for the “haters”, offering +112 for the under at 96.5 wins.
Can Bryce Harper bring the Phillies back to dominance? The books think so. Totals are around 89, give or take a half. Best under looks like 89.5 at PlayMGM at -120. MGM has really high vigs overall, just as a heads up.
Think the Mets are getting overlooked? Could they be headed for another collapse? The win total seems to be 85.5. A full-game extra value on the over exists at William Hill for -110 either way.
Players futures
There are a lot of big name players in the big markets, especially after the offseason. Those names appeared a lot on some interesting season prop bets. Be advised, not all options are offered at all outlets.
Two big boppers in the Bronx are looking to put up big numbers. Aaron Judge has a HR total around 37.5, while Giancarlo Stanton is at 41.5. Think Stanton will have a monster year? BetStars is offering even money for him to hit 46 or more.
While Stanton is expected to hit more homers, Judge has the better odds for MVP. He’s among the top choices, around 10/1 at most locations. Stanton is higher, around 18/1, with the highest odds at 22/1 on BetStars. The favorite across the board is Mike Trout, he of the largest contract in North American professional sports.
Luis Severino has the best odds among Yankees to win the Cy Young. He’s listed third choice as high as 10/1 at some outlets like DraftKings and PlaySugarHouse. Both books also have JA Happ listed at 40/1, if you’re feeling dangerous.
On the National League side, Bryce Harper is the favorite to pick up his second MVP award. Most books have him listed at 4/1. His teammate Rhys Hoskins is also in the mix, as high as 20/1.
Aaron Nola is in talks for a Cy Young again. FanDuel has his best price at 9/1, a distant third in the prices.
For the Mets, DeGrom is the guy setting the pace for another Cy Young, contending with Max Scherzer of Washington for top price. Best on Jacob is +350 at FanDuel and PointsBet.
There are a lot of places like BetStars and PlaySugarHouse offering extensive options for player futures. Take a look, take a chance.
Embrace the grind
There will be more options available as the season starts. New books opened in the offseason, including PointsBet.
“We expect Baseball to be extremely popular and unlock a last set of betting clients who are baseball-dominant bettors to try PointsBet,” said Ron Shell, VP of Customer Insights at PointsBet. “We recently surveyed over 500 customers and 95% answered they would be betting on Baseball season.”
There’s a lot of games which means there’s a lot to consider for bettors. Not every game is going to be exciting or a good opportunity. Books have been active with offering odds boosts, either through the pages or on social media.
Other locations, like PointsBet, will throw in bonus bets for a set price bet on one game. PointsBet will offer Let It Fly for some games, where players can earn $10 bonus bets for each homer their team hits. There’s going to be some humid days this summer in the Northeast so might be a good idea to use that with the Yanks, Phils, and Red Sox.
The one thing we’ve seen since sports betting started last year is a competitive market means outlets are willing to offer extra value to players. They want to see activity and keep customers returning. Take advantage when possible.
Have fun betting this year and use your head. Also, try not to get mustard on your new jersey.
