Yahoo Finance World Series odds: Bettors are going crazy for the New York Mets to win it all
The New York Mets have made headlines this offseason, and bettors are buying in.
The most popular team among bettors in the Major League Baseball futures market isn't the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, or even the ever-popular New York Yankees. New York's National League team is the one getting more than twice as many bets as any other team to win the World Series.
The Mets are getting by far the most World Series bets after an offseason makeover, and as a result BetMGM has dropped their odds from +2500 to +1200. For the first time in a while, people are fired up about the Mets.
Mets are getting many World Series bets
At BetMGM, almost one-third of the money bet on the World Series winner has been on the Mets.
The Mets are getting 31.4 percent of the money to win it all. The Yankees have taken in the second-most money, far behind the Mets at 14.2 percent. The Dodgers are third at 10.5 percent.
The number of tickets are lopsided in favor of the Mets too. The Mets account for 24.6 percent of the total number of World Series bets taken by BetMGM, which is more than twice as many as the Yankees at 12.1 percent. No other team is above 9 percent.
The Mets, who haven't won a World Series since 1986, aren't the favorites. That's still the Dodgers at +350, down from the opening line of +400. The Mets are just the favorite pick of bettors.
Can the Mets be contenders?
It's not like the Mets are coming off a great season. They were 26-34 last season and couldn't even make the expanded playoff field. They still play in a good division that includes a talented Atlanta Braves team.
A high-profile trade with the Cleveland Indians is the reason the Mets are making noise. They acquired star shortstop Francisco Lindor and starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco without giving up too much. They have a deep bullpen, perhaps the best starting pitcher in baseball Jacob deGrom and talented holdover hitters like Pete Alonso, Dominic Smith and Michael Conforto. If Noah Syndergaard can rebound to his top level after Tommy John surgery, the Mets will be a tough matchup in a playoff series.
There's a lot to like on paper, but the Mets have to make a huge improvement to become a World Series contender, especially with other National League contenders like the Dodgers and San Diego Padres making big moves in the offseason. Lindor is great but bettors are practically expecting a different team with him and a few others added to the roster.
Can the Mets actually win the World Series? It's a bit of a stretch but regardless, it's fun to see New York's other team getting some attention this offseason.
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