US Sports News

Every MLB Team’s World Series Odds Through First Two Months of 2024 Season

We're officially more than two months into the 2024 Major League Baseball season so it's time to take a step back and take a look at the futures markets.

What teams have underperformed? What teams are a surprising contender? Are there any teams we should bet on now or are there a few we should stay away from?

In this article, we're going to take a look at the latest World Series odds for all 32 teams. Let's dive into it. All odds listed in this article are via FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Dodgers, despite underperforming by their standards, are still set as the World Series favorites at +260, which is an implied probability of 27.78%. There's no denying the talent this roster has and they're still playing well enough to have a hefty lead on the NL West.

The New York Yankees have been the best team in baseball through the first two months. Their pitching has been sharp and their offense, specifically the play of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, has been unbelievable. If I were to pick one team to win it all at this point of the season, I'd pick the Yankees.

The Phillies have the best record in the National League at 44-19. They have a great chance to yet again go on a deep playoff run.

The injury bug has bitten the Braves, most notably Ronald Acuna Jr., who will miss the rest of the 2024 season. There's still plenty of time for them to rally and there's a reason they're still fourth on the odds list to win it all.

The Orioles are still well behind the Yankees in the AL East, but at 39-22, they'll be back in the playoffs once again.

The Seattle Mariners lead the AL West, but their offense needs to wake up if they want to be true World Series contenders in 2024.

The AL Central was supposed to be the worst division in baseball, but as of writing this article, four of the five teams are at .500 or above, including the Minnesota Twins at 33-29.

The Houston Astros don't look like the same contender they once were. Their metrics are still respectable and their offense has woken up in recent weeks. If there's one team that has got off to a slow start that I could see getting hot in the second half of the season, it's the Astros.

The Cleveland Guardians are eye-popping 40-21 as of writing this article. While that's impressive, I wouldn't be surprised if he saw some regression from this team in the second half of the season.

The Milwaukee Brewers lead the NL Central and have had one of the better offenses through the first two months of the season. They are a team to watch in the National League.

It's been a bad start to the season for the defending World Series champions. Their offense has been middling and their bullpen continues to cost them games. They need to find a way to turn the ship around or they're going to fail to make the playoffs.

The Kansas City Royals might be the single most surprising team in the Majors this season at 37-26. Not only has their record been good, but they have the metrics to back it up. Between strong offensive statistics and more than one Cy Young candidate in their rotation, the Royals could be a Cinderella story in 2024.

The Blue Jays may be the most disappointing team in the Majors. Despite looking like a talented squad on paper, their offense has been without teeth and their bullpen has been abysmal. On top of that, their rotation hasn't been nearly as good as it was last year. Time is running out for Toronto.

I feel sorry for Mets fans. It's been a disaster of a season and they're already 16.5 games back from the Phillies in the NL East.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

7 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Orioles vs. Rays Prediction, Odds, Pick and Probable Pitchers for Friday, June 7

The Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays start a key weekend series tonight.

The O's are currently sitting in a wild card spot in the American league and are 4.5 games behind the Yankees, while the 31-31 Rays need to get hot if they want to get back into the playoffs picture.

In this article, I'm going to break down everything you need to know to bet on tonight's AL East showdown.

All odds listed in this article are via FanDuel Sportsbook

Run Line:

Moneyline:

Total:

Baltimore Orioles

Gunnar Henderson: Gunnar Henderson has been the heart and ssoul of the Orioles this season and he's been fantastic over the past month. He's second in OPS over that time span at 1.038 while hitting nine home runs.

Tampa Bay Rays

Aaron Civale: If the Rays want any chance of beating the Orioles, they need to have a strong outing from their starting pitcher, Aaron Civale, who has a 5.37 ERA on the season. He allowed six hits but just one earned run in 5.1 innings against the Orioles in his last start.

I firmly believe the Rays are one of the most overvalued teams in the betting market this season. Based on their metrics, they should feel lucky they're sitting at .500 on the season. Over the last 30 days, they're 28th in the Majors in OPS as their offense has gone cold.

The Orioles, on the other hand, are third in OPS over that time frame.

The Orioles bullpen has also been significantly better than the Rays this season, ranking seventh in bullpen ERA at 3.37 while the Rays enter this weekend's series ranking 21st in bullpen ERA at 4.19.

On top of all that, Cole Irvin (2.84 ERA) is the clear superior starting pitcher over Aaron Civale (5.37 ERA).

Give me the O's tonight.

Pick: Orioles -104

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!

7 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Photos of Cop’s Injuries From Scottie Scheffler’s Arrest Emerge

The Louisville Metro Police Department released a series of photos Friday depicting the aftermath of officer Bryan Gillis's encounter with golfer Scottie Scheffler outside of Valhalla Golf Club on May 17.

The photos featured a picture of Gillis's left knee, which was slightly scraped, a rip in the back of the officer's pants, and a small cut near his wrist.

Gillis also had a wrist injury. he said he didn't need EMS but another office said it was protocol. pic.twitter.com/PWPQCIugi7
— Lachlan McLean 📺 (@LachTalk) June 7, 2024

On that morning of May 17, Scheffler was commuting to the golf course to prepare for the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship when he attempted to drive around traffic caused by a fatal accident. Cops at the scene—including Gillis—told Scheffler to pull over and arrested him.

Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic. Scheffler said in a statement shortly after the incident that it was all a big misunderstanding, and on May 29, all charges against the golfer were dropped.

The police report filed on the day of the incident alleged that Scheffler refused to comply with an officer's request to stop and continued to drive forward, dragging Gillis to the ground. Gillis was taken to the hospital to treat minor injuries. The report also stated that Gillis's $80 pants were "damaged beyond repair."

After the charges were dropped last month, Gillis filed a statement and finished it off by referencing the pants.

"Yes, the department has us buying freaking $80 pants," Gillis wrote. "To those concerned, they were indeed ruined. But Scottie, it’s all good. I never would’ve guessed I’d have the most famous pair of pants in the country for a few weeks because of this. Take care and be safe.”

Scheffler finished tied for eighth place at the PGA Championship. He tied for second place the following weekend at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.

7 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Juan Soto’s AL MVP Odds Plummet Following Injury Scare

UPDATE: Juan Soto's MRI came back with only inflammation, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman. His AL MVP odds have still dropped to +450 at FanDuel Sportsbook -- but they have rebounded after falling as low as +650.

The initial prognosis on Juan Soto's MRI is that it's only inflammation and he should be ok, per @JonHeyman
A radiologist will review it to be sure pic.twitter.com/ri5lxIr3Nn
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 7, 2024

What follows is the initial story of the odds movement following Soto's exit from Thursday night's game against the Minnesota Twins. His odds have remained the same at DraftKings Sportsbook (+235) throughout this process.

New York Yankees fans everywhere held their breath on Thursday night after Juan Soto was lifted from the team's win with what the Yankees called, "left forearm discomfort."

Soto, who is off to a great start this season, was one of the favorites to win the American League MVP award entering Thursday night's action.

However, MLB insider Jon Heyman revealed on Friday that the Yankees are "nervous" when it comes to Soto and his injury and his odds have fallen since the injury occurred.

"The Yankees have their fingers crossed, they're nervous."
New episode of Around the Bases with @JonHeyman
Watch the full discussion around Juan Soto's injury and much more here ➡️ https://t.co/BCh1IUypCg pic.twitter.com/XXoMq2566A
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 7, 2024

Soto is slashing an impressive .318/.424/.603 with 17 homers on the season. He was right behind teammate Aaron Judge in the odds as the No. 2 favorite for the AL MVP.

That has since changed at FanDuel Sportsbook, a sign that Soto could be looking at a stint on the injured list. Even if Soto plays, oddsmakers may be taking their chance on him being less effective with his forearm bothering him, at least in terms of his ability to win AL MVP.

Here are the odds from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. and Baltimore Orioles star Gunnar Henderson have leapfrogged Soto in the latest AL MVP odds. Soto dropped from +210 to +650 since being removed from Thursday's game, a massive falloff that signals oddsmakers believe he's at least expected to miss some time or be less effective in the MVP race.

The other important note here is Judge has jumped to a clear favorite in this market. After posting an OPS over 1.400 in May, Judge is now hitting .289 on the season and leads baseball in homers (21), doubles, and walks drawn.

Despite the movement at FanDuel, that isn't the case everywhere in the betting market.

The odds for the AL MVP are much different at DraftKings Sportsbook.

In this case, oddsmakers still believe in Soto's AL MVP case, although Witt Jr. and Henderson are right on his heels for the No. 2 spot.

Until the Yankees officially announce a roster move, Soto's status is truly up in the air.

The star outfielder addressed the media on Thursday, saying he's been dealing with the ailment for a couple of weeks. While he's been able to play through it, there has to be some concern that this has been building over time.

Juan Soto says he's felt the forearm tightness for a couple weeks but it hasn't impacted his baseball related activities at all pic.twitter.com/UuyC2ATyyA
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 7, 2024

Soto didn't have to make many throws against the Twins on Thursday, and it's unclear if there is a specific spot where he could have aggravated his forearm that led to his removal from the game.

All five Juan Soto throws tonight pic.twitter.com/5whljMBMNK
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 7, 2024

If the injury isn't bothering Soto when he hits, he theoretically could stay in the AL-leading Yankees lineup as a designated hitter.

The problem? That spot is usually manned by slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who has been injury-prone in the past and is certainly risky to play in the field. For now, the Yankees and their fans -- and Soto bettors -- are hoping for some positive news about his injury in the coming days.

I think this helps Judge's MVP case the most, as the Yankees would rely even more on the 2022 AL MVP if Soto can't play for any period.

Judge has finished in the top five in MVP voting in three different seasons in his MLB career.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

7 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Who Has Scored the Most Goals in Stanley Cup Final History?

The 2024 Stanley Cup Final is set to get underway on Saturday, with the Florida Panthers seeking the franchise's first ever championship, while the Edmonton Oilers look to clinch their first title since 1990.

For the Oilers, Connor McDavid will look to open his Stanley Cup Final goalscoring tally, having yet to feature in the big game throughout his esteemed nine-year career. He'll have plenty of work to do if he's looking to catch some of the sport's longtime record holders.

In NHL history, the Stanley Cup Final has largely been dominated by the "Original Six" teams. The Montreal Canadiens have won 24 championships, followed by the 13 won by the Toronto Maple Leafs, 11 to the Detroit Red Wings and six for both the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks.

So, it stands to reason that the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer in the Stanley Cup Finals, most of them, in fact, come from the Habs.

Canadiens legend and NHL Hall of Famer Maurice Richard, the individual whom the Rocket Richard Trophy was named after, holds the record for most goals in the Stanley Cup Final with 34. He's featured in a total of 58 games in the championship, winning eight Cups in his illustrious career.

The all-time top 10 leading goalscorers list looks like this:

PLAYER NAME	GOALS SCORED IN STANLEY CUP FINAL
Maurice Richard, Canadiens	34
Jean Beliveau, Canadiens	30
Bernie Geoffrion, Canadiens	24
Yvan Cournoyer, Canadiens	21
Henri Richard, Canadiens	21
Jacques Lemaire, Canadiens	21
Ted Lindsay, Red Wings	19
Wayne Gretzky, Oilers, Kings	18
Gordie Howe, Red Wings	18
Mike Bossy, Islanders	17

Among the top 10, Gretzky played most recently, and his last Stanley Cup Final goal came all the way back in 1993, more than 30 years ago.

Among active NHL players, you'd have to go a bit farther down the rankings to find the first one.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, who has eight goals in 25 games in the Stanley Cup Final, ranks first among active players. He sits 54th all time. After Malkin, the likes of Patrick Kane, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and Ondrej Palat all have seven.

Corey Perry's five goals in the Stanley Cup Final are the most among players participating in the championship series this year.

7 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Who Has the Most Triple-Doubles in NBA Finals History?

When Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic walks on to a basketball court, he immediately becomes a threat to put up a triple-double.

In six years in the NBA, Doncic has been nothing short of a triple-double machine. He is already tied for eighth all-time in that category with 77—18 more than Hall of Fame forward Larry Bird, and 49 more than Hall of Fame guard Michael Jordan.

As he makes his NBA Finals debut, it's worth looking back at the history of players reaching double figures in three of basketball's five major counting statistics (points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks) on the sport's biggest stage.

A triple-double, in basketball, is when a player hits three of the following statistical benchmarks in a single game: 10 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 blocks or 10 steals. Hitting two is a more common double-double, while hitting four is an extraordinarily rare quadruple-double.

The NBA record for most career triple-doubles is held by Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook with 199.

Since the advent of the NBA Finals, 23 players are known to have accomplished the feat, per StatMuse.

PLAYER	NUMBER OF TRIPLE-DOUBLES
LeBron James, Heat/Cavaliers/Lakers	11
Magic Johnson, Lakers	8
Draymond Green, Warriors	3
Larry Bird, Celtics	2
Jimmy Butler, Heat	2
Wilt Chamberlain, 76ers	2
Bob Cousy, Celtics	2
Walt Frazier, Knicks	2
NIkola Jokić, Nuggets	2
Bill Russell, Celtics	2
Charles Barkley, Suns	1
Elgin Baylor, Lakers	1
Dave Cowens, Celtics	1
Stephen Curry, Warriors	1
Tim Duncan, Spurs	1
Kevin Durant, Warriors	1
Jason Kidd, Nets	1
Jamal Murray, Nuggets	1
Scottie Pippen, Bulls	1
Rajon Rondo, Celtics	1
Wes Unseld, Bullets	1
Jerry West, Lakers	1
James Worthy, Lakers	1

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, with 11. James is the only player to accomplish the feat with three different teams, having registered triple-doubles with the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Lakers. He is also one of three players, along with ex-Los Angeles guard Jerry West and forward James Worthy, to record a triple-double in Game 7 of the Finals.

James spread his triple-doubles out, too: he recorded one in his much-maligned 2011 Finals, one in the 2012 Finals, two in the 2013 Finals, two in the 2015 Finals, one in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals, two in the 2017 Finals, one in the 2018 Finals, and one in the 2020 Finals.

7 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Dodgers vs. Yankees Prediction, Odds, Pick and Probable Pitchers for Friday, June 7

All eyes in the baseball world will be firmly set on this weekend's interleague series between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, which could very well be a preview of this season's World Series.

The Yankees have looked like the best team in the Majors so far, sporting a spotless 45-19 record while leading all teams in a plethora of metrics. Game 1 of the three-game set is on Friday night.

Let's dive into everything you need to know to bet on tonight's game.

All odds listed in this article are via FanDuel Sportsbook

Run Line

Moneyline

Total

Dodgers

Yoshinobu Yamamoto: The Dodgers' pitching staff, including their starter for Game 1 Yoshinobu Yamamoto is going to have their hands full this weekend. The Yankees lead the Majors in OPS this season at .776 while also rocking a stunning .825 OPS over the last 30 days. Strong pitching is going to be a must if they want to win Game 1 tonight.

Yankees

Aaron Judge: Aaron Judge has been on an unbelievable roll of late. Over the last 30 days, he has a batting average of .387, an OPS of 1.491, and he's hit 14 dingers. He's the key to every game for the Yankees moving forward.

Juan Soto is going through an injury scare right now, but that shouldn't scare us bettors away from taking the Yankees as home underdogs.

The Yankees have statistically been the best team in baseball this season so I'm surprised they're this big of underdogs to the Dodgers at home on Friday night. Over the last 30 days, the Yankees have an eye-popping OPS of .825 while the Dodgers have an OPS of just .708, which ranks 14th in the Majors. I'll take New York at home.

Cody Peteet may be still of an unknown entity for the Yankees, but he's looked solid in his first two starts, giving up just three earned runs in 11.0 innings. If he can keep that going tonight, New York is going to be a great underdog bet.

Pick: Yankees +120

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!

7 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Former Dolphins CB Xavien Howard Accused of Sending Explicit Photo to Ex’s Son

Former Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard has been accused in a lawsuit of sending sexually explicit content to the then-underage son of an ex-girlfriend, according to a court filing obtained Thursday night by Grethel Aguila of the Miami Herald.

Per the filing, Howard sent the content to the son "because (his mother) refused to get an abortion." The attorneys for a separate woman who sued Howard in 2023—alleging he shared explicit videos of her without her consent—are attempting to have the 18-year-old added to that lawsuit as a plaintiff.

Howard, 30, was cut by the Dolphins on March 13.

"Xavien Howard operates by intimidation and force. Where he goes, destruction follows, and the lives of two individuals have been irrevocably altered because of him," attorneys Adriana Alcalde and Cam Justice wrote in the filing.

Through his attorney, Ted Craig, Howard denied the claims.

Howard has been selected to four Pro Bowls in eight seasons in the NFL. He has twice (2018 and 2020) led the league in interceptions.

7 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Charles Barkley on TNT Possibly Losing the NBA

Episode 497 of "SI Media With Jimmy Traina" features a conversation with Charles Barkley. The "Inside the NBA" host discusses the possibility of TNT losing the NBA in the current television rights negotiations, his frustration with the lack of communication from Warner Brothers Discovery about the negotiations, whether the show could continue on another network, reaction from fans to the possible end of "Inside the NBA," the awkwardness of still having to work next season for TNT if they lose the NBA beginning in the 2025-26 season, the lack of loyalty from the NBA and what would make him decide between ESPN, NBC and Amazon if he became a free agent.

Barkley also goes off on CNN for never telling him that his show with Gayle King, "King Charles" was canceled, he explains what could make him be the subject of a comedy roast, who the two nicest GOATS are in sports, the Lakers saying that LeBron James doesn't have a say in their coaching search, reaction to his recent Caitlin Clark rant. Following Barkley, Sal Licata from WFAN and SNY joins Jimmy for the weekly "Traina Thoughts" segment. This week's topics include the passing of Bill Walton, Angel Hernandez's retirement from Major League Baseball, the mystery behind the Dov Kleiman Twitter account and the latest story about a restaurant charging for a ridiculous service.

You can also listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast on Apple and Spotify.

7 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

TNT’s Kevin Harlan on News and Notes

Episode 496 of "SI Media With Jimmy Traina" features a conversation with TNT lead NBA play-by-play man, Kevin Harlan. Harlan talks about calling the Mavericks-Timberwolves Western Conference Finals, the transition from being in a two-man booth to a three-man booth for the postseason and why a three-man booth is more difficult for the NBA than college basketball.

Harlan also shares his thoughts on the possibility of Turner Sports losing the NBA and what that means for his future. Other topics covered with Harlan include his viral playoff moment with Denver's Jamal Murray, how he evaluates his radio call of Mecole Hardman's Super Bowl winning touchdown against the Niners, whether any executives have ever tried to change his style, the notes his gets about his NFL broadcasts from CBS and much more. Following Harlan, Sal Licata from WFAN and SNY joins Jimmy for the weekly "Traina Thoughts" segment. This week's topics include Jimmy's betting disaster regarding Caitlin Clark, Peacock's new series on the 1990 New York Yankees, the scam that is the secondary-ticket market, the use of the word legend" and another ridiculous restaurant experience for Jimmy.

You can also listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast on Apple and Spotify.