Dodgers, Yankees get nods from sportsbooks
The Dodgers and Yankees are still the clear favorites to win the 2020 World Series.
But Las Vegas bookmakers made their odds a little bit longer after Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that it will play a 60-game season.
“Generally speaking, we lengthened the favorites and shortened the long shots due to a smaller sample size,” Caesars Entertainment sportsbook director of trading Jeff Davis said.
The Dodgers are the +350 World Series favorites at the Westgate, which raised the Yankees from +350 to the 4-1 second choice.
“The Dodgers and Yankees look to be head and shoulders above the field,” Westgate sportsbook director John Murray said. “There’s been more money on the Dodgers,
and when you get to the postseason, the Yankees, in theory, have to go through Houston.
“The Dodgers don’t have anyone in the (National League) I consider as good as Houston.”
The Dodgers lead the way in money wagered on World Series futures at the Westgate, followed by the Yankees and Twins (16-1).
New York is the money leader at the South Point, which lists the Yankees as 3-1 World Series favorites. South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews raised the Dodgers from 3-1 to +350 and also bumped up the Astros, the third choice, from 8-1 to 12-1.
‘Highly unpredictable’
On the other end of the spectrum, Andrews cut the Royals’ odds from 1,000-1 to 300-1 and the Marlins’ odds from 1,000-1 to 250-1.
“I just think there’s a chance for some weird stuff to go on,” he said. “It is highly unpredictable.”
The Westgate also made several adjustments, including lowering the Rays from 20-1 to 16-1 and the Padres and White Sox from 40-1 to 30-1.
“We lowered the White Sox just because they’re a trendy team, and you’ve got to think the shorter season favors teams like that,” Murray said. “The better teams are probably going to win out over 162 games. But lesser teams might be able to beat them out over 60 games, in theory, and get in the playoffs.”
Regional schedule
The Westgate posted a prop on a player to hit .400 this season — yes was quickly bet down from 8-1 to 7-1 — and plans to put up new season win totals Friday or Saturday.
“Regular-season wins are really going to be impacted by the schedule,” VSIN host and longtime Las Vegas oddsmaker Vinny Magliulo said. “It’s regional. The East is probably strongest. They had seven teams finish at least .500 last season.
“The Central had five, and the West