COVID-19 (coronavirus) has turned the sports world completely on its head and Major League Baseball has been no exception.
Following a conference call with all 30 clubs this past Monday, Commissioner Rob Manfred and league officials announced that Opening Day would be pushed back again with no alternate date yet announced. Initially scheduled for this coming Thursday, March 26, the start of the 2020 season was then changed to April 9 before this most recent announcement.
MLB stated it “will keep fans updated on decisions regarding plans for the 2020 schedule in the days and weeks ahead,” with all clubs committing to playing “as many games as possible” once the regular season begins.
“We will continue to monitor ongoing events and undertake the precautions and best practices recommended by public health experts, and urge all baseball fans to follow suit,” MLB concluded. “MLB extends its best wishes to all the individuals and communities who have been impacted by the coronavirus.”
Judge, Paxton, and Stanton All Could Return by Opening Day
The New York Yankees are already a favorite to win the 2020 World Series and it seems they are also the team poised to benefit most from a delay to the start of the season. Aaron Judge, James Paxton, and Giancarlo Stanton all could be available to start on the Opening Day roster, an outcome that was not initially expected.
Judge’s recovery from a stress fracture in his right rib will be evaluated by CT scan shortly, while Paxton has already resumed throwing with the target of being ready to return for a big-league start by mid-May. Stanton has also started to hit again after recovering from a right calf strain. Yankees manager Aaron Boone would have far fewer complications in his early-season lineup decisions if these players can return healthy.
East Coast Bettors Find Value in MLB Futures
While many sports bettors are looking to horse racing and international sporting events to find action, the world of futures betting is still alive and well. Taking a look at MLB futures specifically, there are some clear differences in projections from sportsbooks in Las Vegas as compared to their East Coast counterparts.
Let’s take a look at odds in Vegas versus three popular east coast sportsbooks for this year’s World Series winner:
Odds to win the 2020 MLB World Series by sportsbook:
DraftKings
- LA Dodgers +375
- NY Yankees +400
- HOU Astros +550
- ATL Braves +1200
- MIN Twins +1800
- NY Mets +2200
FanDuel
- LA Dodgers +380
- NY Yankees +390
- HOU Astros +700
- ATL Braves +1400
- MIN Twins +1600
- NY Mets +2100
888 Sport
- LA Dodgers +375
- NY Yankees +400
- HOU Astros +550
- ATL Braves +1200
- MIN Twins +1800
- NY Mets +2200
William Hill Sportsbook in Las Vegas (mobile app)
- LA Dodgers +300
- NY Yankees +300
- HOU Astros +900
- MIN Twins +1500
- ATL Braves +1700
- NY Mets +1700
The numbers in Vegas on the two World Series favorites have been pushed way down. Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees fans in the west can only find a price of +300, while east coast bettors can still pick those teams up for 75 to 80 cents more.
Prices for the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves are significantly higher out west with differences in returns ranging from two to five dollars per dollar bet depending on location.
Shockingly, Vegas also says the Minnesota Twins are more likely to make a deep run than the Braves who find themselves priced at +1700 by William Hill, but +1200 to +1400 in the east.
Finally, the New York Mets are also listed as +1700 by Vegas experts but NY/NJ locals do not seem to agree. Prices closer to home are upwards of +2100 for betting on the Mets.
