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MLB is planning to begin its abbreviated 60-game season in late July after having its year delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. DraftKings Sportsbook has broken down the public’s baseball betting splits, and we’ll take a look at how the Los Angeles Dodgers are being bet as we close in on the new season.
The Dodgers haven’t won a World Series since 1988, which is remarkable when looking at their recent rosters. Those teams have helped them to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2017 and 2018 and seven straight playoff appearances.
Bettors are big on New York options for the World Series, as both the Yankees and Mets are one and two in percentage of handle bet. The Yankees come in with 43 percent of the handle and 34 percent of the bets at +400 to win it all. The Mets have the second highest handle at 11 percent but the third highest percentage of bets at six percent. At +2000 to win, they are a long shot but DraftKings Sportsbook’s biggest operation is in New Jersey, likely skewing bets slightly that way.
The Dodgers are favorites to win the whole thing, just ahead of the Yankees, at +375. They have the third-most handle at seven percent and the second-most percentage of bets at 11 percent. They’ll come into the season with the deepest lineup in the league which gets a boost with the DH coming to the National League.
With an over/under of 37.5 wins, the Dodgers are tied with the Yankees for most projected wins in the shortened season. For comparison, the worst total comes in for the Orioles with 20.5 wins. The handle for the Dodgers for their win total is overwhelmingly on the over at 85 percent. Their total comes in at a .625 win percentage. Last season, the Dodgers won 106 games for a .654 win percentage. At .625, they would need to win 101.5 games in a full season. That appears right in their wheelhouse, but a 60-game sample size is going to accentuate any trouble that comes their way.
Volatility in a 60-game season will give longer shots a better chance than they would have in a 162 game season. But, as long as the Dodgers can keep their top three pitchers healthy, they should remain the frontrunners to take the championship and hit the over on their win total.
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