MLB Futures: Prop Up State of Texas Bet
We’re into the second half of the 2023 MLB season, and there is no better time than now to catch up on current Las Vegas odds for MLB futures. We will cover a few player props, division races of note, and some World Series specials to spice up October.
2022-23 MLB Home Run Leader
The race to finish the season with the most home runs in the league is heating up between the Atlanta Braves’ Matt Olson and the Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani took the lead earlier in the summer with one of the best months in MLB history when Shotime his .394 in June with 15 home runs, 29 RBI, and 10 additional extra-base hits. Despite also pitching every five days, Ohtani appeared to be running away with the home run crown as he attempted to win his second MVP award in three seasons.
Since the end of June, Ohtani’s bat has quieted down a bit, leaving room for Olson to go nuts and take the league lead in long balls. The Atlanta first baseman has seven home runs in August, including four in his last five games, and has a two-homer lead over Ohtani with 43 to 41.
Honestly, the way these two swing the bat, Ohtani could catch Olson in a single game.
Olson currently leads the MLB odds board at -180 compared to Ohtani at +140. Longshot contenders include Pete Alonso (+2000), Kyle Schwarber (+8000), and Mookie Betts (+8000). While Ohtani is a tempting underdog, he appears to be wearing down a bit and the Angels might not push him to try and beat Olson.
Division Races
We aren’t covering all six division races in this article, but a couple present better MLB betting value than others.
The American League West is a good example with the Texas Rangers leading the pack with an MLB line of -140 to win the division, but the Houston Astros are not far behind and currently have odds of +120 to take over first place and win the division.
Texas is 8-2 in their last 10 games and is pulling away slightly from the Astros at 6-4, but with just 2.5 games separating them, anything can happen in the season’s final weeks.
The AL East, meanwhile, has been a total mess since the start of the season for the spring training favorites, the New York Yankees. With around seven weeks left in the season, the writing is on the wall for the Bronx Bombers, who sit 13 games behind the Baltimore Orioles in fifth place.
New York may seem like a sneaky bet at +20000 to come from behind and take over the division but don’t be fooled into making this bad MLB bet. The Yankees continue to show that they are not ready to contend for a World Series, let alone the division, and their recent ninth-inning meltdown against the Miami Marlins.
Gerrit Cole in the clubhouse after the team blows another good start of his pic.twitter.com/8hW8JjsRJS
— YankeesMuse (@YankeesMuse) August 13, 2023
2023 World Series Specials
The Atlanta Braves (+325) are currently the front-runners to win the 2023 World Series in favor of the Los Angeles Dodgers (+450) and Houston Astros (+650). Other contenders include the Rangers (+750) and Tampa Bay Rays (+1000).
For what it’s worth, my eye is on the Rangers right now, as they are in the midst of one of the best seasons in franchise history. They have won eight of their last 10 games, are pulling away ever so slightly from the Astros, and just added Max Scherzer to their already deadly roster.
BetUS Sportsbook offers odds on which state the World Series winner will hail from, and I love Texas at +400. With two teams in the top five of the MLB futures odds, I feel like Texas should be favored over California (+325).
The bet on Texas (the state) may pay out less than a straight bet on the Rangers or Astros, but the odds of winning are much higher than the lines suggest.
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