Orioles odds-on favorites to finish with most losses in MLB

The Baltimore Orioles appear ready to make another run at the wrong end of baseball history this season.

After Baltimore finished 47-115 last season — with more losses than all but four teams since 1900 — the Westgate sportsbook opened the Orioles’ 2019 season win total at 59½. That’s the lowest win total the book ever has posted, and it since has been bet to 57½.

Baltimore also is the odds-on favorite to finish with the most losses in the majors in a new prop posted at the Westgate. The Orioles opened as 5-2 favorites and were at even money Tuesday before a $2,000 wager on Baltimore made it a minus 125 favorite.

“We thought 5-2 was a good number, but it apparently wasn’t low enough. The first bet we took was to win five figures on the Orioles,” Westgate sportsbook manager Randy Blum said. “There are other bad teams, but more than 60 percent of the money has been bet on the Orioles.”

Andrew Cashner, who went 4-15 with a 5.25 ERA last season, will start for Baltimore on opening day Thursday at Yankee Stadium. Chris Davis, who hit .168 last season, and Mark Trumbo, who played in only 90 games, will try to fill the Manny Machado-sized hole in the lineup.

“When you look at their roster on paper, it’s hard to see how they’ve improved at all,” Blum said. “It just looks like they’ll be a train wreck.”

The 1962 New York Mets set the modern record for most losses in a season when they went 40-120.

Marlins least in NL East

While the New York Yankees at 5-1 lead a pack of 10 teams with odds of 16-1 to win the World Series, oddsmakers project a four-team fight for the worst record.

The Florida Marlins are the 3-1 second choice to finish with the most losses, and the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals are each 6-1, with the Seattle Mariners a distant fifth at 18-1.

Florida went 63-98 last season and has a win total of 63 in a National League East featuring four teams with win totals above 85: Philadelphia Phillies (89), Washington Nationals (89), Atlanta Braves (86) and Mets (85½).

“The Marlins are in an extremely tough division,” Blum said. “Last year at this time, everybody was saying the Marlins would be historically bad.

“It’s not a lock that the Orioles will have the worst record. The Marlins, Tigers and Royals are definitely going to be bad teams. The Giants are going to be bad, and there are other bad teams.”

Detroit’s win total is 68, Kansas City’s is 69, the Texas Rangers are at 71 and the San Francisco Giants are at 73. The Toronto Blue Jays are at 74 and so is Seattle at an adjusted number after sweeping a two-game series from the Oakland Athletics in Tokyo.

Yankees, Cubs money leaders

The Yankees and Chicago Cubs, 12-1 to win the World Series, have traded places as the leader in tickets and money wagered on World Series futures at the Westgate, which took a mid five-figure wager on the Cubs to win their division at 2-1.

NL wide open

Based on the odds, the NL playoff picture is much more unpredictable than the American League, where the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians and Astros appear to be virtual locks to reach the postseason.

“The wild card could be Oakland, Minnesota or Tampa Bay,” Blum said. “The National League is way more interesting. Four teams could win the NL East and make the playoffs, and at least three teams could win the Central. And we really like Cincinnati this year.

“It should be a great season in the NL. The top of the AL is really good, but the bottom is really bad.”

World Series picks

Blum likes the Yankees to win their first World Series since 2009. But his value plays are the Cleveland Indians at 10-1 and the Atlanta Braves at 20-1.

“There could be some value on the Indians because a lot of people are so focused on the Yankees, Red Sox and Astros, and rightfully so,” he said. “Their starting rotation, if it’s not the best in baseball, is in the top three. I wouldn’t write the Indians off completely just yet.

“In the NL, a lot of people are down on the Braves this year. But I don’t really understand it. Their young kids will get better, and there are more on the way.”

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