The Daily Wager crew shares their top picks for the National League playoffs. This includes a pair of bets on the Brewers. (1:12).
After entering the season as 100-1 long shot to win the World Series, the San Francisco Giants had the best record in major leagues. Now they are aiming for another distinction: sportsbook crusher. Multiple operators stand to lose more that $1 million if the Giants win the championship.
"Honestly, we get crushed when the Giants win," MGM Director of Trading Jeff Stoneback stated to ESPN. He explained the potential net loss after accounting for all wagers on the 29 teams.
The Giants were never in decline as they reached a record 107-55 during the regular season. However, the odds of them winning the playoffs were gradually reduced by bookmakers throughout the season. They could have been grabbed by bettors at 10-1 in July.
John Murray, SuperBook executive director, stated that the team didn't have a chance to win this. He also said they expected the Arizona Diamondbacks (52-110) would finish higher. "We consider the Dodgers the best baseball team. "We've known that for the entire season, and it was only natural that they would surpass the Giants.
San Francisco beat its opponent by just one game. They won the National League West title with 40-1 tickets.
However, the Giants are once more being dismissed and placed in an underdog position entering the postseason. Despite San Francisco's home-field advantage, the Dodgers are -160 favorites to win the best-of-5 National League Division Series.
It's essentially a blue-collar group. "Gabe Kapler has done an incredible job of implementing all the roster on a daily basis," Dave Cokin, a long-time Las Vegas handicapper who is also specialized in baseball, told ESPN. It was hard to see the difference because you don’t often see teams managed this way. It helped us avoid slumps and maintained our great team chemistry.
The Giants topped the National League with 241 homers, but not one player reached 30, With 17 players having at least five home runs, the team set an MLB record. An MLB record was also set by their 18 pinch-hit home runs.
Oddsmakers had a 74.5 win total for the regular season when they entered the season. Only the Giants have exceeded their win total by more than 30 games since 1994.
Stoneback stated, "Obviously you have a team like that with high odds with a quick start. People jumped on them early at these high odds and they never disappeared."
Bettors also found appeal in the Giants' postseason success, with World Series titles in 2012 and 2014.
Murray stated, "It's just the same way that we always get futures for Syracuse and UConn in college basketball." People have seen them do it before, so they believe they can do it again. It was something we kind of laughed off for the past six to seven years. It caught our attention this year. That's all I have to say.
Uncomfortable conversations were required when financial exposure became a real possibility for sportsbooks.
"I received a call from someone asking me how I got to that position with the Giants. Murray stated. Murray said, "It is difficult to lower liability when one man has $1,000 at 300-to-1 while another has $1,000 @ 200-to-1. You also have to consider the huge number of tickets they sell because they are such a popular team."
There is a silver lining to the potential hit. Given the high betting handle in college and pro football, sportsbooks are well-equipped to absorb large losses. This October's five Saturdays and five Sundays have five each, so many sportsbooks project this month to be the biggest handle in 2021.
Bookmakers have the ability to manipulate the odds of the Giants reaching the World Series and reduce some risk. In 2017, the Giants were in a similar situation when the long-shot Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup Final.
