Why not? is a feature on The Touchback that looks at bets with longer odds that could plausibly happen. This doesn’t mean these wagers are locks. They are simply ones where you can justify the risk. Today, we look at why you should bet on the Tampa Bay Rays to win the American League.
This is my favorite time of year to make MLB futures bets. That’s because there are always a few weird anomalies you can take advantage of. The one bet that stands out the most is the Tampa Bay Rays to win the American League at +1000 (Odds at William Hill). For some reason, they have longer odds to take home the pennant than the Toronto Blue Jays despite both being at +400 to win the AL East.
That doesn’t make a lot of sense. Neither does the New York Yankees being a strong favorite at +240. What exactly have the Bronx Bombers done that leads anyone to believe they are better than last season when they finished seven games back of the Rays in the division?
Sure, Tampa Bay did trade away Blake Snell but that isn’t the huge loss some people make it out to be. Apart from his Cy Young winning season in 2018, he has been anywhere from above average to bad. Charlie Morton has also left which may hurt during the playoffs.
That being said, they added Rich Hill who was good last season and Chris Archer offers Tampa some upside. Even if they both bust, the team will grind out enough bullpen games to make the playoffs.
Offensively, they are running it back with most of the same cast. Wander Franco will likely spend some time at Tropicana Field this season and could be a nice boost if he’s as good as scouts think he is. They also have the best farm system in baseball according to Keith Law.
Of course, they aren’t going to trade any of those prospects for better players. However, should the Rays experience some injuries, they at least have enough depth to avoid imploding. That’s something the Yankees have struggled with in recent seasons.
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Should you bet on the Tampa Bay Rays to win the American League at +1000?
Look, I hate the stupid Rays name and the fact Dick Vitale talks about them nonstop. I hate that they are the most boring team in baseball to watch. I hate that they made bullpen games a thing. But there is no reason not to bet on the Tampa Bay Rays to win the American League at +1000.
Everyone is ogling the Blue Jays and Chicago White Sox, but they have so many question marks that it makes no sense to bet on either team to win the pennant. Consistency matters in baseball and no one is more consistent than Tampa Bay. The upside of this bet makes it a no brainer even if it won’t always be pretty to watch.
