Blue Jays Are Among Betting Favorites For MLB Futures

With the MLB lockout lifted and a flurry of transactions taking place daily, MLB futures betting markets are active and fluctuating frequently. The Toronto Blue Jays strong team and offseason additions have placed them among the betting favorites in a variety of future bets. 

Blue Jays, Yankees, Astros, and White Sox are heavy favorites.

According to the bookmakers, the American League teams most favored to win are Toronto, New York, Houston, and Chicago. Of the group, Toronto is the only team that missed the postseason in 2021, but their strong 90-win performance combined with some impressive offseason additions and further development of their young stars has them among the favorites for a variety of futures bets at online gambling sites in Canada.

Toronto currently sits at +1100 to win the World Series, tied with the White Sox as the fifth most likely team to win it all. The Blue Jays are +475 to emerge as the AL Champion, tied with the Yankees as second most likely to win behind the Astros who are currently +425. Toronto is pegged at +190 to win the American League East division title, just a shade behind the Yankees (+185) as second most likely. The over/under line for regular season victories is set at 91.5, projecting for a strong season, and the Blue Jays’ odds of making the postseason under the newly-expanded 12-team format are -390, showing a lot of confidence from the books in the team to earn their way into October baseball. All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Individual Toronto players have also earned respect from the books, with DraftKings setting the O/U line for Vladimir Guerreor Jr.’s home runs at 43.5 and setting his odds to win the AL MVP award at +400, third-best behind Angels superstars Shohe Ohtani and Mike Trout. New addition Kevin Gausman has odds of +1800 to win the AL Cy Young award, tied for 11th-best.

Transactions influencing the betting markets

With a number of high profile free agents still on the open market and blockbuster trades being made daily, transactions can still influence the balance of power in the league as well as the associated futures betting markets. The Blue Jays are actively pursuing continued upgrades to their already-strong team, with the team engaged with a number of star players still in search of a home. Trades are also in play, with a number of teams trading off talented players and the Blue Jays’ talented young core making some of their minor league prospects expendable.

Toronto’s odds could also dip if their competitors make a big transactional splash. The Yankees and Red Sox both are in position to bolster their clubs via either trade or free agency which would affect Toronto’s chances in the AL East. Chicago and Houston could also improve, influencing the AL Champion and World Series futures odds.

Unique opportunities for futures bettors

Futures bettors are typically faced with the task of evaluating the team’s chances, but the current market affords them the opportunity to essentially bet on a team’s front office. Bettors already confident in Toronto’s chances could wait to see if other teams’ additions make the betting odds on the Jays more attractive. Bettors who think Toronto isn’t finished adding to their already-stacked roster might choose to get their bets down now, before another addition makes them even bigger favorites.

The 2022 season represents the best chance in years for the Blue Jays to make a meaningful run towards a World Series championship. The oddsmakers have shown their respect for the club’s development, and between the variety of legal sports betting options for fans and the excellent prospects for Toronto’s success, the 2022 season promises to be a thrilling one.