• Bookies
  • News
  • Betts Trade To Dodgers Could Bring Value On Futures Markets

Betts Trade To Dodgers Could Bring Value On Futures Markets

Adam Thompson for Bookies.com

Adam Thompson  | 

Betts Trade To Dodgers Could Bring Value On Futures Markets

Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets
Promo Code: BOOKIES

Visit site
Used 32 Times Today
Popular in Ohio
Deposit required. Paid in Bonus Bets. Bets wager excluded from returns. New Customer only. Must be 21+ and present in OH. T&Cs apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

The rich just got richer.

Mookie Betts is on the move. The 2018 American League MVP and four-time All-Star has been traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers also reportedly receive five-time All-Star and 2012 Cy Young Award winner David Price as the Sox dump salary and assume they’ll be unable to sign Betts after this season.

Price is a nice pickup for L.A., but a Betts-to-Dodgers trade has major ramifications for fans of MLB betting looking to find value on MLB Futures markets before spring training begins.

Here are a few value picks available as Betts heads west.

World Series

Prior to Tuesday night’s big move, the Dodgers were already the No. 1 team in the NL and the No. 2 team overall in World Series futures, at +500 (the Yankees are +350) at 888sport.

While the addition to Betts won’t particularly add value to the Dodgers, it may decrease value to other teams considered fringe to win it all in World Series betting.

It now seems like a considerably tougher championship run for NL teams with notable issues coming into 2020, teams like the Mets (+2000) and Brewers (+2800). Their value decreases as the Dodgers get stronger.

NL West

The Dodgers were already the big favorite to win the division at -1000. The Diamondbacks (+1200) and Padres (+1400) presume to offer up the best challenges.

But define “challenge.” Arizona and San Diego may have improved this off-season, but L.A. won the division last year by a ridiculous 21 games. The Padres finished 36 games out. And now the Dodgers just added Betts.

It was already hard to imagine the Dodgers not taking the NL West. The price is high, but it’s as close to a lock as one can have in a MLB divisional race.

AL Pennant

It may sound obvious enough, but the key to winning the pennant is qualifying for the postseason. MLB top seeds are more likely to be eliminated before the championship compared to its NBA and NFL counterparts.

Losing Betts is just another big letdown for the Red Sox in their quest to get back to the AL playoffs. The Yankees were the big favorites to win the AL East, so the division futures don’t change much in terms of additional value. The same cannot be said regarding the AL playoffs.

Prior to the Betts trade, Boston came in at +1100 to win the AL pennant, the No. 4 team on the board behind the Yankees (+165), Astros (+240) and Twins (+900).

The Rays (+1100), Indians (+1200) and Athletics (+1300) were nearly even with the Red Sox, but their chances should increase with a Betts-less Boston sliding.

Two more dark horses may have added value now. The White Sox (+1700) had a fantastic off-season, adding as many as five new starting hitters and two starting pitchers to a team that was on the young side one season ago. And the Angels (+2000) can be dangerous if they can get consistent effort from their pitching staff — they’ll have an elite batting order.

About the Author

Adam Thompson for Bookies.com
Adam Thompson
Long established as one of the nation's premier handicappers, Adam Thompson joined Bookies.com in 2019 after a successful run as senior handicapper for SportsLine & CBSSports.com. He specializes in the NFL and MLB, where he's hit on well over 60% of his picks the past five years. Adam's NBA and horse racing picks have also produced consistent, major winners over the years.