Patrick Everson
FOX Sports Betting Analyst
World Series odds got a nice little shaking up after Thursday’s MLB trade deadline.
That said, the Los Angeles Dodgers remain the strong favorites.
However, oddsmakers seemed a little surprised that L.A. didn’t do more at the deadline, particularly with their National League rivals being much more aggressive.
“What stood out most to me was, with the holes the Dodgers had in their pitching staff, I was very surprised that they didn’t make a big splash,” Caesars Sports baseball trader Matt Torchia said. “The Mets, Phillies and Padres all made some splashes, and the Dodgers mostly just sat on their hands.”
Torchia and his boss, Caesars head of baseball trading Eric Biggio, weigh in on 2025 World Series futures odds in the aftermath of the trade deadline.
Move Of The Day
San Diego is an NL wild card team at the moment, but sits just three games behind Los Angeles in the NL West. The Padres made multiple moves, the biggest of which was filling a hole at closer via a trade with the Oakland Athletics.
“Acquisition-wise, Mason Miller to the Padres was the biggest move for me,” Biggio said. “The Padres said they’re going all in and got a few guys, and the Miller move especially was the biggest deal.”
Bookmakers and bettors took notice over the past 24 hours or so, with the Padres significantly improving their World Series odds.
“We already had liability on the Padres to start with, before the trade deadline. More bettors have since come in, and we moved from +2800 to +1800,” Biggio said.
That puts San Diego No. 11 in World Series odds. The top five on the board at Caesars are the Dodgers (+250), Tigers (+750), Yankees (+900), Phillies (+900) and Mets (+900).
Giant Step Backward
Through games of July 11, the San Francisco Giants were 52-43 and in the thick of the playoff race. But San Francisco then went 2-12 over its next 14 games and is now 54-55.
That surely changed the Giants’ trade-deadline plans — which was just fine with Caesars Sports.
“One of our biggest liabilities for the World Series is the San Francisco Giants. So the fact that they were sellers at the deadline put a smile on my face,” Biggio said.
The Giants dealt closer Camilo Doval to the Yankees and reliever Tyler Rogers to the Mets, among other moves.
Mariners Momentum?
Ahead of the trade deadline, the Seattle Mariners were +2200 in Caesars’ World Series futures. Then the M’s made a Thursday deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks to bring third baseman Eugenio Suarez back to Seattle.
Suarez, who has 36 home runs this season, was with the Mariners in 2022 and 2023. It was Seattle’s second trade in a week with Arizona, following the July 24 acquisition of first baseman Josh Naylor.
Now, the Mariners are Caesars’ +1600 co-ninth choice to win the Fall Classic. Torchia and Biggio are both fans of Seattle’s moves.
“The Seattle Mariners have the rotation and a ballpark that bodes well for their pitchers. But they needed more bats, and got them,” Torchia said. “They’re a sleeper pick for me to win the World Series. They can make a deep run with that roster.
Added Biggio: “I think the American League is wide open. With the pitching Seattle has, I’d almost make the Mariners a favorite against the Yankees.”
Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on X: @PatrickE_Vegas.
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