I have been on the Yankees since before the season, and I am still a believer that this team can finally get back to the top and win a World Series this year. It has been a long time since New York last won it: 2009 in fact, beating the Phillies 4-2. That exact match up could happen again this season, as the Phillies are also another team that is a strong contender to win it all. Normally, I wouldn’t be all in on a favorite like this, but from what I am hearing out of the sportsbooks in Vegas, they are actually rooting for the big favorites this season to meet in the World Series.
According to BetMGM’s Hal Egeland, they actually prefer the chalk making it this year: "The Yankees, Dodgers and Phillies are our most-bet in terms of both tickets and money. Having said that, we actually fare pretty well on all three. We’re a relatively small loser on the Phillies. But the Dodgers and Yankees would both be positive results for us."
When it comes to betting on baseball, I am not as big of a “fade the public” guy as I am in football, but it never hurts to know who the books are rooting for. In addition to the books wanting New York to win it all this season, I also think they have the roster to do so. There is a reason this team won the AL East this season, which was very competitive until the very end with the Baltimore Orioles.
Let’s start off with the extremely obvious reason anyone would bet them to win the World Series: that offense. Indeed, the Yankees had one of the best offenses in baseball this season, and they especially crushed right-handed pitching. New York finished with a gigantic 123 wRC+ as a lineup against righties, the best in baseball. Opposing teams are going to be trying to throw all of their left-handers at them as much as possible, but most teams aren’t going to have a plethora of them.
Aaron Judge and Juan Soto form one of the most formidable duos that baseball has seen in years, with both guys holding extreme power that can take you deep, and with a batting average around .300. The production from those two alone is unmatched in MLB.
The pitching staff is starting to round into shape. Gerrit Cole hasn’t been as good as he has in years past, but he is still an effective arm. Presumed AL ROY Luis Gil has been excellent this season, and Carlos Rodon has rebounded from a shaky middle of the season. I’m not a huge fan of Marcus Stroman, who has regressed quite a bit over the last two seasons, but he also isn’t a terrible option. Nestor Cortes is a reliable left-hander, and getting Clarke Schmidt back is bigger than some might think. He’s been great when healthy.
The biggest question with this team is a bullpen that has been somewhat unreliable. They aren’t bad, per se, but they also have not been as solid as you want for a team with World Series aspirations. However, I am also higher on them than some others may be, and already have a ticket at 12/1 odds for New York to bring home the trophy from before the year.
I like the Yankees or Phillies going into the playoffs as it stands, with a slight lean toward New York.
Get up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets at BetMGM! All you need to do is CLICK HERE, sign up for a new account, make your first deposit and bet! Don’t miss out!
Related
