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Expert MLB Betting Advice: World Series Matchup Props


by - 3/21/2018

Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers

The great thing about the Internet and sports betting is that you can bet on pretty much anything these days. From the logical and attractive, to the bizarre and insane. It's all out there for you. Within any given sport you can take pretty much whatever angle interests you and monetize it.

For example, and we head into another baseball season we have spent the last few weeks looking at all sorts of different props and futures for teams and players and their potential performances, and there is still a lot left to look at before the season starts. The latest type of offering to get our attention is World Series matchup props. You can bet on any possible combination of teams meeting in the championship series - every single one is covered. If you think that the rest of the world is crazy and that the Tigers and Marlins are going to come from nowhere to play for all the marbles then you could bet it - and earn a ridiculous +1250000 payoff if you were right. Which you won't be. While that would not be a good bet, let's look at a few that are a bit more interesting ( Odds are from BetOnline ):

 

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (+1200): If you like chalk then this is your play - the lowest potential payoff on the board. Both squads are hugely public, and they are both loaded with talent, so it is no surprise that they are this low. They have more in common than just public love, though. Both got stunningly strong performance from youngsters last year, and both will need those precocious kids to take a step forward and not slide into a slump. They will also need their pitching to come together as the bottom of both rotations is built with prayer as a central element to their success. If you like the Dodgers but don't buy into the Yankees then you can get Houston as the matchup at +1400 in a repeat of last year's World Series, Cleveland at +1800, or Boston at +2500.

 

Los Angeles Angels vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (+3300): While on the topic of the Dodgers, we might as well look at the cross-town showdown. The Angels are potentially the best they have been in several years - especially if Shohei Ohtani can look more like the star he is supposed to be and less like the BP pitcher he has been this spring. I don't know how much interest this series would create nationwide, and the start times would be murder on the East Coast, but it would be fun. It's also the most likely of the three possible in-city battles as I see it. The Yankees and the Mets are also at +3300, but I won't trust the Mets' pitching until I see their starters last more than a couple games in a row without their arms falling off. The battle for the hearts of Chicago, meanwhile, sits at +20000, which seems far too low - the White Sox are on the right track, but they feel like they have a whole long way left to go before the discussion turns to the World Series.

 

Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago Cubs (+2200): We've already looked at potential 2017 World Series rematch, so we might as well look at a 2016 rematch. This feels like a fair price. The Indians fell just short last year, and they are again loaded and well balanced. The Cubs stumbled badly out of the gate last season, but they found their game in the second half and should be able to carry that late momentum forward. I like this price better than the Dodgers' prices - largely because I like the Cubs better than the Dodgers. If you, too, like the Cubs, then you could also bet the Yankees at +1600, the Astros at +1800, or the Red Sox at +3000.

Washington Nationals vs. the world: The one major contender we haven't touched on yet is Washington. With Bryce Harper in a contract year and a potent rotation there is a chance this team will finally break through and reach their postseason potential. If they did then, again, they would be most likely to meet the Yankees - +1600. Houston would be at +1800, and I like that price a lot. Cleveland is at +2200 and Boston at +3000.

 

Fun with long shots: We've dealt mostly with the favorites so far, so let's get a little dangerous. How about two teams that could potentially shock some people if their rotations achieve what they are capable of - Toronto and Arizona would pay +20000 if they met. You could get that same price for the West Coast matchup that no one is thinking of - Seattle and San Francisco. How about two teams stepping out of long-term rebuilds at the same time in grand fashion - Oakland and Philadelphia would pay +175000. Or how about last year's biggest surprises keeping the momentum rolling - Minnesota and Colorado would pay +35000.

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