The Arizona Diamondbacks had a Cinderella moment in an otherwise dreary season on Saturday night. A 27-year-old journeyman rookie, Tyler Gilbert, became the fourth pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter in his first career start.

Gilbert achieved the feat in a 7-0 victory over the San Diego Padres at Chase Field, despite the home team being a +190 underdog in the contest, per DraftKings Sportsbook.

Such a line is to be expected, given the D-backs’ league-worst 38-81 win-loss record. But should that record give you pause as far as sports betting? Can a team with that bad of a record be of interest to MLB betting fans?

With Arizona sports betting expected to go live on Sept. 9, we take a look at how to bet the Diamondbacks between now and the end of the MLB season.

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Betting the Underdog

Take the MLB odds for the Diamondbacks’ Tuesday night home game against the Philadelphia Phillies for example, which has Arizona as a +100 moneyline underdog per DraftKings .

Going forward, the D-backs will play Philly two more times this week, before heading to Colorado, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia as part of a 10-game road trip.

The betting lines and MLB picks for those games will be released closer to game time, but by using Tuesday’s moneyline as a standing example, we can get a handle on what the earning potential for the squad can be.

Arizona is likely to be an underdog in each of its seven games against the Phillies, meaning bettors can take home a solid payout, if they play the moneyline on Arizona and the D-backs are able to pull of some W’s.

The games against Colorado and Pittsburgh are likely to be more of a crapshoot, given the former’s 53-66 record and the latter’s 42-77 record to date.

Still, one would assume that Arizona will see plus moneylines in most, if not all of those contests, meaning bettors can strike gold if they can manage a few wins.

Betting on Gilbert

Another money-making opportunity for Arizona going forward rests on the left arm of Gilbert, who is likely to make at least nine more starts for the team down the stretch.

The 2021 Rule 5 Draft pick will likely toe the rubber against the likes of the Phillies (61-57), Pirates, Seattle Mariners (63-56), Houston Astros (70-48), Atlanta Braves (63-56) and San Francisco Giants (77-42) going forward.

It’s safe to guess that Gilbert and the D-backs will be underdogs in all but two of those starts, with likely appearances against the Pirates on Aug. 24 and the Rockies on Oct. 3 being the exceptions. That perennial underdog status provides money-making opportunities for bettors, even if Gilbert is unable to match the performance he showed Saturday night.

The likelihood that the Astros and Giants clinch their divisions, which they currently lead by 2.5 and 4 games respectively, could lessen the team’s underdog status in those games.

Both are overwhelming favorites to win their divisions when it comes to MLB futures odds, with FanDuel Sportsbook giving the Astros ( -700 ) and Giants ( -125 ) favorable chances.

That said, it’s not unfair to assume that the team will see similar odds to what they faced against the Padres on Saturday night, when Gilbert became the first MLB rookie to toss a no-no in his first start since Bobo Halloman in 1953.

History aside, there’s reason to continue betting long shot odds on the basement-dwelling D-backs. After all, it never hurts to dream big when it comes to the nation’s pastime.

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