Dodgers World Series Favorites Following Yankees’ Luis Severino Surgery Announcement

Posted on: February 25, 2020, 04:32h. 

Last updated on: February 25, 2020, 05:34h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
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The New York Yankees’ World Series odds are lengthening following the news that starting pitcher Luis Severino will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2020 season.

New York Yankees World Series odds
With Luis Severino out of the Yankees starting rotation, the World Series odds on New York are lengthening. (Image: Frank Franklin/AP)

The Yanks have been the consensus betting favorite to win this year’s World Series. Oddsmakers across the country had the Bronx Bombers as short as +350 to win the franchise’s 28th Commissioner’s Trophy. But now down yet another starting pitcher, and the Los Angeles Dodgers have the shortest MLB title odds.

DraftKings has the Dodgers at +375, slightly edging the Yanks at +400.

I don’t want to sugarcoat the fact that being without Sevy, that’s a blow, but it doesn’t change our expectations and what we’re truly capable of,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “Nothing changes.”

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings said 57 percent of the money wagered on the World Series outcome, and 45 percent of all tickets, was on the Yankees.

Three Strikes

The Yankees have been betting favorites for the duration of the off-season and leadup to Spring Training. That was especially true after New York landed Houston Astros ace Gerrit Cole in December with a staggering nine-year, $324 million deal.

The acquisition shortened New York’s odds from +500. But it’s been one loss after another since. Severino is the second starting pitcher in the planned rotation to suffer an injury this month.

Starter James Paxton is expected to miss three to four months recovering from back surgery. That news came just a month after MLB announced starter Domingo German accepted an 81-game ban for violating the league’s domestic violence policy.

German will miss the first 63 games, as he was given credit for the 18 games he missed last year while the investigation was ongoing.

German led the Yanks with 18 wins during the 2019 season on a 4.03 ERA. Paxton was 15-6 on a 3.82 ERA. Severino missed all of the 2019 regular season because of injuries, but in 2018, he went 19-8 on a 3.39 ERA.

New York’s rotation to start the season will now go Cole, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, and two vacancies.

Cole Hard Truth

The Yankees’ high hopes for 2020 rest now even more on Cole.

DraftKings has various prop bets on baseball’s highest annually paid pitcher. The sportsbooks’ over/under win total for him is set at 16.5 wins. His odds of throwing a no hitter, which would be Cole’s first, are long at +2000.

The Yankees, notorious for outspending teams, might be in buying mode following the loss of Severino.

GM Brian Cashman said Tuesday, “We’re constantly looking for upgrades. But this time of year, you look from within and see and give opportunities for what you have, and typically that’s how it shakes out, especially until after the June draft.”

He added, “You keep relying on depth. So, wouldn’t say expect any domino effect or cause and effect in terms of us being able to go to marketplace where a marketplace this time of year typically doesn’t exist.”