There is no official strategy for beating the MLB odds regarding season awards. But one relatively consistent trend is that preseason favorites only sometimes come out on top. Juan Soto is an excellent example of this. 2023 is the third year in a row he is favored to win the MVP, though he’s yet to come through.
Regarding how to bet on MLB regular season awards, we recommend looking at players other than those favorites in most cases.
Not only do they consistently fall short, but they also have the worst odds concerning value. Siding with an underdog, or dark horse, is considered a better strategy. However, underdogs become much riskier the further away from opening day you place your bets.
In 2023, the MLB regular season award odds present several chances to take advantage of beatable odds.
One such award with good underdog value is the American League Cy Young award race. Seven players offer MLB lines between +600 and +1000, including favorites to win the AL MVP Shohei Ohtani, Jacob deGrom, Gerrit Cole, Alek Manoah, and Dylan Cease.
The hunt for the AL Rookie of the Year is also one where we can potentially snag some value outside the top picks. Gunnar Henderson (+275) is the early favorite, with Antony Volpe and Masataka Yoshida tied for second at +450.
While all three have the skills to win the ROY, Trison Casas (+1000) and Josh Jung (+1600) provide better value this early in the season.
