#Return of MLB betting marked by new rule, uncertainty

LAS VEGAS — Despite the negativity exacerbated by an acrimonious and prolonged offseason, it appears baseball still could be an easy sell at the sportsbooks. It certainly helps when the most attractive teams in the eyes of the betting public are the Dodgers and Yankees.

When bettors hit the polls in Nevada, the Cody Bellinger-led Dodgers are winning the popular vote in World Series futures wagering.

“The Dodgers lead by far in most tickets and money, with the Yankees in the No. 2 hole,” William Hill sportsbook director Nick Bogdanovich said.

The numbers are a little different in New Jersey, where Aaron Judge and the Yankees are getting strong regional support as 4/1 co-favorites with the Dodgers.

The abbreviated 60-game season opens Thursday, when the Yankees and Dodgers are both in action as favorites on opposite coasts. If the brief exhibition schedule is an indication of what’s coming, baseball betting will do brisk business this season.

“People like the action,” Bogdanovich said. “If they are betting baseball in Korea and Japan and [MLB] exhibitions, they will be betting this for sure.”

With cardboard cutouts replacing fans behind home plate Sunday, Bellinger blasted a grand slam to lead the Dodgers to a rout of the Diamondbacks in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the Yankees were putting on a weekend hitting exhibition and mauling the Mets in New York. That type of hype will help fans warm up to the game.

But the coronavirus concerns make this season especially unpredictable for oddsmakers and handicappers, and the way baseball will be bet is taking on a slightly different look.

Several books are shifting to posting a moneyline on teams with no listed pitchers. If the Yankees are -130 favorites with Gerrit Cole as the expected starter, and Cole is scratched, there will be no refunds. Bettors will get the moneyline price at the time the wager was made instead of the adjusted price — the same way games are bet in the NFL and NBA.

“I have been pushing for this for years,” South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said. “We had more pitchers scratched than ever last year, and a lot of teams are going to an opener instead of a traditional starter. It’s too confusing for your average bettor. So far, everybody I’ve talked to is on board with it. A lot of crazy stuff is going to happen this year.”

The set moneyline price for the game line, runs line and first-five innings is meant to simplify the action on both sides of the counter. As usual, 8½ innings must be completed for action.

“I was asked, ‘Why do you list pitchers? You don’t list quarterbacks,’ ” Westgate SuperBook vice president Jay Kornegay said. “There are going to be more ‘Off’ pitchers than we’ve ever seen before. It’s best for bettors and books to have action. You could benefit from it or you could be on the short end of it. It could work both ways.”

Sharper bettors who get information before it’s available to the public should have an edge, which is always the case. The difference this season is there is a much higher chance of late lineup changes and pitcher scratches.

“There’s no question that information is going to be a key,” said Chuck Edel, a Las Vegas professional bettor. “There’s a lot of things that could happen. If I get some info, I’m going to fire. But I don’t think I’m going to jump in with two fists. I’m just kind of waiting and seeing.”

In a normal season, sharp bettors typically look for lower-scoring games in March and April when pitchers are ahead of hitters in colder temperatures. Edel said he thinks starting this season in warmer weather might help the hitters and, with the designated hitter in both leagues, scores could be higher. But, he said, that’s just his theory.

“I think it’s going to be wide open this season, and it’s going to be a difficult time for sports handicappers,” Kornegay said. “I think people in general are taking a wait-and-see approach. I think a lot of people are unsure, and so far we have not seen a lot of sharp play on baseball futures.”

Erin Rynning, a VSiN analyst and pro bettor, said he’s ready to jump into baseball immediately instead of playing the wait-and-see game.

“I’ve been betting UFC and golf, so I’m definitely going to bet baseball,” Rynning said. “I’m actually looking forward to it. In a 60-game season, every game means a little more. Hopefully, I think there will be some good opportunities.

“But it’s hard to bet these baseball futures. It seems like it’s potentially a waste of time.”

While Rynning bet the Milwaukee Brewers to win the World Series at 55/1 odds, he’s not making many other futures wagers — such as team win totals — with fears the season might not be completed.

“Futures action is slow because people are wary of tying their money up on something when there might not be a result,” Bogdanovich said. “Nobody is going to be surprised if the season gets canceled.”