2017 World Series Futures
By Loot, MLB Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
A World Series futures wager is a bet that could possibly pack the most mileage into one bet. Granted, some people will pick teams whose hopes are dashed well before the all-star break. But you may very well bet on a contender that is in the thick of it the whole season long. With a futures bet, you will have a stake all the way through the super-long 162-game regular season, in addition to the postseason. In other words, it's a bet that can pack an awful lot of action for just one wager.
Last season, the Chicago Cubs broke a long streak of over a century and finally achieved World Series glory. They are the top favorite on the board to repeat as champions this season. It's worth noting, however, that no team has repeated since the 2000 Yankees. That means the top favorite on the board doesn't always deliver, as it's happened just three times in the past thirty years. And as we see through recent history with teams like the 2015 champion Royals that a lot of teams from pretty far down the list have won to warrant us going a bit more "off the grid" with some of our picks if we have a feeling that a team will over-perform.
There is a lot to take into consideration when fostering a pick or a series of picks. It's not enough to either look at a team's record from last season or to defer to the experts. There is no substitute for hard work when betting baseball. We need to look beneath the surface for nuggets of information that most people aren't seeing. Maybe we saw a team with a couple players who are due to explode in form. Maybe you saw subtle signs at the end of last season that a team's pitching staff is turning a corner. Perhaps you made some key observations during the spring that will give you an upper hand with this bet. Being able to sense the worth in things before everyone else does is key in any form of sports betting.
We like to make multiple picks, as to not box ourselves into a corner. With injuries or just regular twists of fate, a team can fall on its face in a given season. The odds on winning the World Series are good enough to justify taking multiple stances, being that we will likely profit regardless of which of our picks wins. We also like to mix up the odds of the choices we make, not shying away from favorites, but also mixing in some middle-of-the-road picks and maybe even some long-shots too.
This is a bet that can pay off handsomely, but you're asking a team to take it all the way. It's an extreme stance to take, as you can also make bets on which team will win the division or the pennant. We like to sometimes use those wagers as hedges, in case we're right about a team being really good and we want to win something for seeing that in case the team doesn't take it all the way. Let's look at the board and ponder the odds to win the 2017 World Series:
2017 World Series Champion Odds:
Chicago Cubs +380
Boston Red Sox +425
Cleveland Indians +800
Washington Nationals +900
Los Angeles Dodgers +950
San Francisco Giants +1050
Houston Astros +1200
New York Mets +1300
Detroit Tigers +2150
New York Yankees +2200
Toronto Blue Jays +2200
St. Louis Cardinals +2250
Texas Rangers +2500
Baltimore Orioles +3000
Seattle Mariners +3000
Kansas City Royals +3500
Colorado Rockies +4000
Pittsburgh Pirates +4500
Los Angeles Angels +7500
Miami Marlins +8000
Tampa Bay Rays +8000
Chicago White Sox +9000
Arizona Diamondbacks +12000
Oakland Athletics +13500
Atlanta Braves +15000
Philadelphia Phillies +15000
Minnesota Twins +16000
Milwaukee Brewers +20000
San Diego Padres +20000
Cincinnati Reds +21000
About the Odds: The odds to win the World Series are expressed on the money line. All teams are underdogs to win the World Series—in other words no team is less than even-money to pull off such a feat. All the numbers you see represent what you would make if you bet $100. So if you took the Chicago Cubs at +380, you would win $380 for every $100 you bet. The Reds are +21000, meaning you'd win 21K for every $100 you bet on Cincy if they win the Series. And naturally, you don't have to bet $100. You can bet as much as you'd like and the odds would just break down proportionally to the size of your wager.
Favorites We Like:
Chicago Cubs (+380): The Cubbies look to be the first team in 17 seasons to repeat as champions. It won't be easy, as they did lose some valuable arms. But they are so loaded that a postseason push in 2017 is hard to not imagine. This looks like a team that was built to last.
Boston Red Sox (+425): A roster exploding with peaking talent and a good finish to the season last season makes the BoSox the American League favorite heading into the 2017 season. They lost a few arms from the bullpen, but added a nice 1B in Mitch Moreland and Chris Sale to the rotation. They should be right in the thick of things in 2017.
Cleveland Indians (+800): After all, the Indians made to the World Series last season and took the Cubs to 7 games, coming up just short. Adding a big bat like Edwin Encarnacion doesn't hurt. They need some healthy pieces to come back, namely in the rotation and a better break in the health department could have the Indians in even better shape than last season late.
BET ON MLB BASEBALL FROM HOME! DEPOSIT $100 AND GET $100 FREE AT ONE OF THE WEB'S OLDEST SPORTSBOOKS: BOVADA SPORTSBOOK
Middle of the Road Picks We Like:
Los Angeles Dodgers (+950): It's hard to believe for some of us more-seasoned fans that the Dodgers, once frequent participants in the Fall Classic, haven't been to the World Series in darn-close to 30 years. If not for the Cubs having a great team, they would have made it last season. It has to happen one of these seasons, right? Why not this season?
New York Mets (+1300): Last season, injuries played a key role, as it really affected the 2016 Mets and especially the pitching staff. They're also hoping a healthier roster gives way to some growth to a lineup that fails to excite on the surface. Still, some better breaks would seem to make the Mets a legit contender.
Long-Shots We Like:
Baltimore Orioles (+3000): They weren't that far off last season, making the wild card after an 89-win season. A powerful lineup will again make them an interesting team to watch in 2017. Their bullpen is top-notch, but for this pick to have a chance, the starting rotation will need to over-perform.
Kansas City Royals (+3500): They are probably at the end of their window of success, but a lot of that World Series champion core remains and even after an off 2016, they have a lot of tools necessary to compete, though the pitching staff took some major hits in the offseason. Hey, they're 35-to-1 for reason. Did you know... that you could be wagering on baseball games at discounted odds? There's a better than good chance that you're laying inflated odds with your book. Stop overpaying TODAY by making the switch to 5Dimes Sportsbook! You will be so glad that you did!
