MLB betting got a shake-up Sunday afternoon, specifically on World Series odds and AL pennant odds, with news that Astros star pitcher Justin Verlander could miss the rest of the season – or at least a significant chunk of it – with an arm injury.
Initial reports suggested Verlander had an elbow ailment, but both he and manager Dusty Baker quickly denied that. Baker called it a forearm strain and said that Verlander would be re-evaluated in “a couple of weeks.” The reigning AL Cy Young winner pitched a solid six innings in an 8-2 Opening Day rout of the Seattle Mariners on Friday.
Verlander’s injury led oddsmakers to shuffle futures book odds on the defending AL champions. Covers checked in on the MLB odds moves with a couple of Las Vegas sportsbooks.
How does Verlander’s injury affect Astros’ World Series odds?
At CG Technology books, risk analyst Rich Zanco said the Astros quickly moved from +1,200 to +1,800 in World Series futures. The SuperBook at Westgate also had Houston pegged +1,200 prior to Sunday’s news and initially went to +1,600, then dialed it a little further to +1,800.
However, there were apparently buyers on the Astros at that point, prompting the SuperBook to reel the price in to +1,400.
How does Verlander’s injury affect Astros’ American League odds?
In AL pennant futures, the Astros initially moved from +600 to +800 at The SuperBook, then ticked back to +700.
World Series odds
| Team | Odds to win |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +350 |
| New York Yankees | +350 |
| Houston Astros | +600 |
| Atlanta Braves | +1,600 |
| Minnesota Twins | +1,600 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +1,800 |
| Washington Nationals | +2,000 |
| Cleveland Indians | +2,000 |
| New York Mets | +2,000 |
| Chicago Cubs | +2,000 |
| Oakland Athletics | +2,000 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +2,500 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +2,500 |
| San Diego Padres | +2,500 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +3,000 |
| Chicago White Sox | +3,000 |
| Los Angeles Angels | +3,000 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +4,000 |
| Boston Red Sox | +5,000 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +6,000 |
| Colorado Rockies | +8,000 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +10,000 |
| Texas Rangers | +10,000 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +20,000 |
| Detroit Tigers | +20,000 |
| San Francisco Giants | +30,000 |
| Seattle Mariners | +30,000 |
| Miami Marlins | +30,000 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +30,000 |
| Kansas City Royals | +30,000 |
Odds courtesy The SuperBook
