[h=1]My best World Series futures bets[/h]Dave TuleyESPN Staff Writer
ESPN INSIDER
LAS VEGAS -- In the spring, a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of ... baseball. OK, so the poet laureate Alfred Tennyson ended that line with "love," but he was British -- and baseball wasn't invented until he was an old man.
Football is my favorite sport these days, but my first love while growing up in the Chicago suburbs was baseball. I'm always nostalgic this time of year as I dig out my cassette tape of "Baseball's Greatest Hits" featuring classic recordings of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," "Who's On First?" and others.
Yes, I'm a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan, which is relevant because the lovable losers are the 9-2 World Series favorites at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook and other sportsbooks in my adopted hometown. Since moving here in 1998 to cover the sports betting beat, I've heard every year how the Cubs are always one of the biggest liabilities for the sportsbooks as loyal fans buy tickets on the hope that "next year" has finally arrived, even in years when it was clear the Cubbies would be cellar dwellers like they've been for most of my lifetime. The Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908 and haven't made it to the Fall Classic since 1945.<offer style="box-sizing: border-box;"></offer>
For the record, I've never bet on the Cubs to win the World Series, even in 2003 when it looked like they were finally going to make it before the Bartman game. In fact, I credit my long-suffering fandom with making sure that I bet with my head instead of my heart. And even though I'm optimistic for once as the Cubs have one of the best lineups in baseball and have added John Lackey to the pitching staff along with Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester, I can't recommend a play on the Cubs at 9-2 or thereabouts, as much as I'd love to have a published prediction in the year that the Cubs finally end their drought.
Two years ago, I cashed with the San Francisco Giants at 20-1 and posted it here at ESPN Insider before the season, in the All-Star Break and again at the start of the playoffs.
So, let's take a look at my best value bets to win the World Series this year, and we'll break it down as if I were given $100 to spend:
[h=3]Kansas City Royals (16-1)[/h]$40 to win $640
The Royals proved last year that their 2014 American League championship was no fluke as they won the franchise's first World Series since 1985. In fact, if not for the otherworldly performance byMadison Bumgarner in the 2014 World Series, we could be looking at back-to-back champions. Manager Ned Yost has handled this team brilliantly the past two years, and the Royals embody the word "team." Of the major team sports, I've always considered baseball more of an individual sport disguised as a team sport. The primary battle is pitcher vs. batter repeated over and over, but the Royals are the best lately at winning with solid defense, timely hitting and baserunning. Their bullpen, anchored by closer Wade Davis, is among baseball's best but the starters are above-average at best.
As long as the starters keep them in the game, the Royals manufacture runs and get the game to their bullpen. Barring injuries, I expect Kansas City to be playoff-bound again (though they could get a challenge from the pitching-richCleveland Indians), and 16-1 is a fair price for a proven winner.
[h=3]Toronto Blue Jays (14-1)[/h]$40 to win $560
<article class="ad-300" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; overflow: hidden; position: relative; z-index: 1000026; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; float: right; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
</article>Not many people remember that Toronto was the World Series favorite last season heading to the playoffs. They averaged a whopping 5.5 runs per game (0.78 more than the second-highest-scoring team, the New York Yankees) and the offense should be just as potent this year with American League MVPJosh Donaldson, Jose Bautista,Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki leading the way. They did lose ace David Price to Boston, but Marcus Stroman, R.A. Dickey, J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada only have to keep from getting lit up and the Blue Jays will be in every game with their potent offense.
The AL East is never easy, as the well-financed Yankees and Red Sox can never be written off completely (Boston won the 2013 World Series despite being cellar dwellers in 2012 and the two years since the title; New York was more competitive last year than expected and made the playoffs as a wild-card team), but the Blue Jays should emerge at the top of the class. I believe 14-1 will look like a bargain heading into the playoffs.
[h=3]San Francisco Giants (10-1)[/h]$20 to win $200
I like to list at least one team from each league. While I mentioned the Cardinals before as a potential value play, if I'm actually going to bet on one National League team to win the World Series, it would be the Giants. While I believe the Giants' organization will be uniquely motivated to keep the even-year World Series trend going, I also think they've already got the parts in place. Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija have been brought in to shore up the starting rotation even if Matt Cain isn't able to return from various ailments. The offense is full of veterans who know their roles and what it takes to win a title. And if the Cubs do indeed win the World Series? I'll feel like a young man again and won't miss the $100.
ESPN INSIDER
LAS VEGAS -- In the spring, a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of ... baseball. OK, so the poet laureate Alfred Tennyson ended that line with "love," but he was British -- and baseball wasn't invented until he was an old man.
Football is my favorite sport these days, but my first love while growing up in the Chicago suburbs was baseball. I'm always nostalgic this time of year as I dig out my cassette tape of "Baseball's Greatest Hits" featuring classic recordings of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," "Who's On First?" and others.
Yes, I'm a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan, which is relevant because the lovable losers are the 9-2 World Series favorites at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook and other sportsbooks in my adopted hometown. Since moving here in 1998 to cover the sports betting beat, I've heard every year how the Cubs are always one of the biggest liabilities for the sportsbooks as loyal fans buy tickets on the hope that "next year" has finally arrived, even in years when it was clear the Cubbies would be cellar dwellers like they've been for most of my lifetime. The Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908 and haven't made it to the Fall Classic since 1945.<offer style="box-sizing: border-box;"></offer>
For the record, I've never bet on the Cubs to win the World Series, even in 2003 when it looked like they were finally going to make it before the Bartman game. In fact, I credit my long-suffering fandom with making sure that I bet with my head instead of my heart. And even though I'm optimistic for once as the Cubs have one of the best lineups in baseball and have added John Lackey to the pitching staff along with Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester, I can't recommend a play on the Cubs at 9-2 or thereabouts, as much as I'd love to have a published prediction in the year that the Cubs finally end their drought.
Two years ago, I cashed with the San Francisco Giants at 20-1 and posted it here at ESPN Insider before the season, in the All-Star Break and again at the start of the playoffs.
So, let's take a look at my best value bets to win the World Series this year, and we'll break it down as if I were given $100 to spend:
[h=3]Kansas City Royals (16-1)[/h]$40 to win $640
The Royals proved last year that their 2014 American League championship was no fluke as they won the franchise's first World Series since 1985. In fact, if not for the otherworldly performance byMadison Bumgarner in the 2014 World Series, we could be looking at back-to-back champions. Manager Ned Yost has handled this team brilliantly the past two years, and the Royals embody the word "team." Of the major team sports, I've always considered baseball more of an individual sport disguised as a team sport. The primary battle is pitcher vs. batter repeated over and over, but the Royals are the best lately at winning with solid defense, timely hitting and baserunning. Their bullpen, anchored by closer Wade Davis, is among baseball's best but the starters are above-average at best.
As long as the starters keep them in the game, the Royals manufacture runs and get the game to their bullpen. Barring injuries, I expect Kansas City to be playoff-bound again (though they could get a challenge from the pitching-richCleveland Indians), and 16-1 is a fair price for a proven winner.
[h=3]Toronto Blue Jays (14-1)[/h]$40 to win $560
<article class="ad-300" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; overflow: hidden; position: relative; z-index: 1000026; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; float: right; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
</article>Not many people remember that Toronto was the World Series favorite last season heading to the playoffs. They averaged a whopping 5.5 runs per game (0.78 more than the second-highest-scoring team, the New York Yankees) and the offense should be just as potent this year with American League MVPJosh Donaldson, Jose Bautista,Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki leading the way. They did lose ace David Price to Boston, but Marcus Stroman, R.A. Dickey, J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada only have to keep from getting lit up and the Blue Jays will be in every game with their potent offense.
The AL East is never easy, as the well-financed Yankees and Red Sox can never be written off completely (Boston won the 2013 World Series despite being cellar dwellers in 2012 and the two years since the title; New York was more competitive last year than expected and made the playoffs as a wild-card team), but the Blue Jays should emerge at the top of the class. I believe 14-1 will look like a bargain heading into the playoffs.
[h=3]San Francisco Giants (10-1)[/h]$20 to win $200
I like to list at least one team from each league. While I mentioned the Cardinals before as a potential value play, if I'm actually going to bet on one National League team to win the World Series, it would be the Giants. While I believe the Giants' organization will be uniquely motivated to keep the even-year World Series trend going, I also think they've already got the parts in place. Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija have been brought in to shore up the starting rotation even if Matt Cain isn't able to return from various ailments. The offense is full of veterans who know their roles and what it takes to win a title. And if the Cubs do indeed win the World Series? I'll feel like a young man again and won't miss the $100.
