Shohei Ohtani AL MVP Odds Movement
Odds via DraftKings
| Date | Odds |
|---|---|
| Opening | +3300 |
| March 23 | +3000 |
| March 25 | +2200 |
| March 27 | +2000 |
| April 5 | +1200 |
| May 12 | +650 |
| May 19 | +150 |
| June 28 | -105 |
| July 5 | -188 |
| July 13 | -333 |
| August 24 | -2500 |
| Closing | -10000 |
Angels pitcher/slugger Shohei Ohtani had a season for the ages and a slew of bettors will cash in when he gets named American League MVP on Thursday.
Ohtani opened anywhere from +3000 to +4000 to win MVP, depending on the sportsbook. He planned to pitch and hit this year, but had thrown just 1.2 innings over the previous two seasons, so the two-way phenom wasn't that just yet.
But some bettors believed, including one who plunked down $30,000 at Caesars Palace and will come away with $900,000.
More bets started to come in as he launched more and more home runs and pitched well. And his odds shortened quickly as the comparisons to Babe Ruth intensified.
By the time the All-Star Game rolled around, and the Ohtani madness was peaking, he had become a prohibitive favorite. He was at -105 at DraftKings and -145 at BetMGM by the beginning of July.
Although he only represented 36% of the MVP tickets at BetMGM, he represents 87% of the handle.
Being the favorite didn’t stop bettors from betting. One FanDuel bettor in July bet $13,500 at -135 to net $10,000.
And at the beginning of September came the kahuna — $204,149 at BetMGM at -5000 to net $4,083!
Ohtani’s numbers from this season are hard to believe. He hit 46 home runs, drove in 100 runs and had an OPS of .965, fifth in the majors. All while going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA and striking out 156 batters.
