Following a flurry of major acquisitions at the MLB trade deadline, the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners have seen their championship odds dramatically improve, making them the most popular choices in the futures betting markets.
The Padres’ aggressive moves, which included acquiring pitchers Mason Miller and JP Sears from the Athletics and first baseman Ryan O’Hearn and outfielder Ramon Laureano from the Orioles, caused their World Series odds to surge. At ESPN BET, their odds shortened from +3500 to +1600, while their chances of winning the National League pennant improved from +1800 to +1200.
This shift was driven by a wave of public betting. DraftKings reports that since the deadline, the Padres have attracted 23% of all money wagered on the World Series winner, far outpacing the next closest team. Similarly, ESPN BET noted that San Diego accounts for 12.5% of the handle since Wednesday. The high-stakes strategy required the Padres to trade away five of their top seven prospects, a familiar gamble for a team that has previously dealt future stars like Trea Turner, Max Fried, and James Wood.
The Mariners experienced a similar boost after acquiring third baseman Eugenio Suarez and first baseman Josh Naylor in separate deals. These transactions moved their World Series odds from +2500 to +1400, and their American League pennant odds from +800 to +700. Bettor enthusiasm for Seattle was even more pronounced, with the team drawing a league-leading 30.5% of the World Series handle and 18.6% of all tickets at ESPN BET. DraftKings also reported the Mariners as having the highest volume of individual bets at 17%.
Despite the significant movement, the Los Angeles Dodgers remain the clear betting favorites at +240 after a quiet deadline. The Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers are next at +850, followed by a group at +1000 that includes the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets.
Conversely, the deadline had a negative impact on other clubs. The San Francisco Giants saw their championship odds lengthen considerably from +4000 to 100-1, while the Minnesota Twins, after a major sell-off of talent, dropped from 100-1 to 250-1.
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