Las Vegas sportsbooks reshuffle World Series odds

The Dodgers and Yankees are still the clear favorites to win the 2020 World Series.

But Las Vegas bookmakers made their odds a little bit longer after Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that it will play a 60-game season.

“Generally speaking, we lengthened the favorites and shortened the long shots due to a smaller sample size,” Caesars Entertainment sportsbook director of trading Jeff Davis said.

The Dodgers are the +350 World Series favorites at the Westgate, which raised the Yankees from +350 to the 4-1 second choice.

“The Dodgers and Yankees look to be head and shoulders above the field,” Westgate sportsbook director John Murray said. “There’s been more money on the Dodgers, and when you get to the postseason, the Yankees, in theory, have to go through Houston.

“The Dodgers don’t have anyone in the (National League) I consider as good as Houston.”

The Dodgers lead the way in money wagered on World Series futures at the Westgate, followed by the Yankees and Twins (16-1).

New York is the money leader at the South Point, which lists the Yankees as 3-1 World Series favorites. South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews raised the Dodgers from 3-1 to +350 and also bumped up the Astros, the third choice, from 8-1 to 12-1.

‘Highly unpredictable’

On the other end of the spectrum, Andrews cut the Royals’ odds from 1,000-1 to 300-1 and the Marlins’ odds from 1,000-1 to 250-1.

“I just think there’s a chance for some weird stuff to go on,” he said. “It is highly unpredictable.”

The Westgate also made several adjustments, including lowering the Rays from 20-1 to 16-1 and the Padres and White Sox from 40-1 to 30-1.

“We lowered the White Sox just because they’re a trendy team, and you’ve got to think the shorter season favors teams like that,” Murray said. “The better teams are probably going to win out over 162 games. But lesser teams might be able to beat them out over 60 games, in theory, and get in the playoffs.”

Regional schedule

The Westgate posted a prop on a player to hit .400 this season — yes was quickly bet down from 8-1 to 7-1 — and plans to put up new season win totals Friday or Saturday.

“Regular-season wins are really going to be impacted by the schedule,” VSiN host and longtime Las Vegas oddsmaker Vinny Magliulo said. “It’s regional. The East is probably strongest. They had seven teams finish at least .500 last season.

“The Central had five, and the West had four.”

Each team will play 10 games against each of its four division rivals and four games versus each of the five clubs in the corresponding division in the other league, according to The Associated Press.

“Imagine the Marlins’ 60-game schedule. They have 10 each against the Phillies, Nationals, Mets and Braves,” Murray said. “Not that they had any chance anyway. But it’s even harder in a really tough (NL East) division.”

Miami also will have four games each against the American League East (Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Blue Jays, Orioles).

Higher totals

Game totals are expected to rise with the designated hitter expanding to the NL and used in every game this season, along with extra innings starting with a runner on second base.

“I think we’ll see higher totals for everybody across the board,” Magliulo said. “And I think in games you’ll see favorites not quite as high.”

The Nationals, the defending World Series champions, wouldn’t have made the playoffs last season if it ended after 60 games. They were 19-31 through 50 games and 27-33 through 60.

“One thing you will see is that teams are going to try harder in regular-season games. Every game is going to be that much more valuable,” Murray said. “You might see teams pitch their best reliever two innings. You really don’t see that much in a 162-game season.”

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.