DraftKings Sportsbook has recently released a ton of awesome future bets. They have all the classic ones like odds on the World Series champion, AL/NL pennant odds, and odds on the Divisional Champion. You can also get wagers on the over/under win totals and the likelihood of teams making the playoffs. For players, you can bet on all the major awards such as MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year.
However, some of the most fun bets are the head-to-head future odds for players and teams. Currently, DraftKings is offering wagers on which player will hit more home runs and which team will have more wins in the regular season. These are some fun wagers that you can make some big bucks on.
Another sportsbook that has some great MLB homerun futures is BetRivers. The sportsbook just went live in Michigan and allows you to wager on over/unders for homerun totals for many players. If you are in the state of Michigan you can even check out the odds for each player to lead the MLB, AL, and NL in home runs on BetRivers Michigan.
Here are some of my favorite bets to highlight for the MLB season on DraftKings.
Yankees -124 to Win More Games Than the Padres
The first bet that jumps off the page to me is the head-to-head win total wager for the Yankees versus the Padres. The biggest reason this bet screams the Yankees to me, even at favored -124 odds, is that they do not have to deal with an opponent like the Dodgers. The Yankees’ toughest challenge will be the Rays, but other than that, they are clear favorites against every team they face. The same cannot be said for the Padres due to the fact that they face the Dodgers, Mets, and Braves in the NL. I love the Yankees on this wager.
One thing that might be brought up is the injury history with the Yankees’ lineup. However, the Padres also have some guys who have dealt with injury, and I really think that this is a moot point when looking for reasons to bet on the Padres.
Athletics +105 to Win More Games Than the Astros
I find it interesting that the Astros are so heavily favored over the Athletics this season, despite the dominance that was put on display by this Oakland ball club in 2020. Yes, it was a shortened season, but the A’s were on pace to demolish the Astros’ record, which was not even .500. Meanwhile, the A’s did not get any worse this offseason. If anything, the Angels are the team who got better in the AL West. I think that the A’s are the ones who matchup against the Angels better between them and the Astros. +105 seems like a slam dunk to me.
Stanton -112 to Hit More Home Runs than Joey Gallo
While Joey Gallo has moved away from a hitter’s friendly ballpark with the Rangers’ new Globe Life Field, Stanton is going to continue to rake in the little-league field that is Yankee Stadium. On top of this, there are more hitter-friendly parks in the AL East than the AL West. This bet really just comes down to Stanton staying healthy.
For me, Stanton is clearly the better hitter and is in the better situation in one of the most stacked power lineups in history, as he has protection up and down the order. Joey Gallo is only being offered up in this bet due to Stanton’s health concerns and recency bias.
Shohei Ohtani +2,200 MVP Odds
My favorite MLB wager right now is Shohei Ohtani at +2,200 to win MVP. Ohtani has looked spectacular in Spring Training. He is not only raking the ball on offense, but he has also been dominant on the mound with his fastball/splitter combination. Ohtani has a massive advantage over every other player in the league when it comes to the MVP race. Not only is he wracking up stats, accomplishments, and WAR while hitting, but he is also doing it when pitching.
When you consider how valuable his bat is for a lineup, launching home runs, hitting for average, and learning more plate discipline, there is a world where Ohtani could win the silver slugger as an outfielder. Now, you add that kind of value with the bat to the value of a top-end starter, and how can you possibly come up with a single-player more valuable than that.
Maybe the most ironic thing is the only player who can even touch that kind of value with only his bat is Mike Trout, Ohtani’s teammate. I see this as the biggest obstacle for Ohtani winning MVP. Trout may take away Ohtani’s votes if they both play lights-out. However, at +2,200, you are still getting a ridiculously good return on a $10 bet.
