More than one-quarter of the World Series Champion futures for the 2021 MLB season have been placed on the Chicago White Sox, according to data released by PointsBet on Friday.
The White Sox, who currently have the fourth-lowest World Series odds at +900, have been the bet on 28% of tickets at the book, 13% more than the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have been bet on 15% of tickets. The White Sox and Dodgers are the only teams that are on more than 8% of tickets.
| Team | % of Bet Count |
|---|---|
| Chicago White Sox | 28% |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 15% |
| New York Yankees | 8% |
| San Diego Padres | 8% |
| New York Mets | 8% |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 7% |
| Atlanta Braves | 4% |
| Chicago Cubs | 3% |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 2% |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 2% |
Data courtesy of PointsBet
Despite all the action, the White Sox are only the second-biggest liability, checking in behind the New York Mets and in front of the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees.
The White Sox love extends beyond World Series futures, though. They're the second-biggest liability to win the AL pennant behind the Toronto Blue Jays, and three young White Sox stars top the list of most-bet AL MVPs.
| Player | % of Bet Count |
|---|---|
| Tim Anderson (+4000) | 21% |
| Eloy Jiménez (+4000) | 18% |
| Yoán Moncada (+2500) | 13% |
Data courtesy of PointsBet
Moncada's +2500 is tied for the seventh-lowest odds in the American League, and both Anderson's and Jiménez's odds rank lower than even more White Sox hitters, such as reigning American League MVP José Abreu (+2500), Luis Robert (+2500) and Yasmani Grandal (+3000).
Jiménez also ranks as the most popular bet to finish with the most regular season home runs, with double the amount of bets as the second-most popular pick. He ranks in front of two Yankees sluggers.
| Player | % of Bet Count |
|---|---|
| Eloy Jimenez (+1500) | 26% |
| Aaron Judge (+2000) | 13% |
| Giancarlo Stanton (+2000) | 10% |
Data courtesy of PointsBet
In terms of win totals, the White Sox have the second-highest over/under in the American League at 91.5. The Yankees lead the way at 96.5. The Action Network's Sean Zerillo made the under on the White Sox win total one of his recommended plays for the 2021 season.
In 2020, the White Sox went 35-25 and finished second in the American League Central behind the Minnesota Twins. They snapped an 11-year playoff drought and lost 2-1 to the Oakland Athletics in the Wild Card Round.
During the offseason, they traded for Lance Lynn, who finished top-6 in AL Cy Young voting in each of the last two seasons, and signed Liam Hendriks, who over the last two seasons in Oakland has accumulated 39 saves while pitching to a 1.79 ERA with 161 strikeouts in 110 1/3 innings pitched.
