Washington Nationals Stunning Dodgers Upset A Home Run for Oddsmakers, Slight Favorites in NLCS

Posted on: October 10, 2019, 08:37h. 

Last updated on: October 10, 2019, 10:28h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

The Washington Nationals upset of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 10 innings to win the National League Division Series in five games was precisely the outcome oddsmakers wanted.

Washington Nationals MLB odds baseball
The 10th inning grand slam shot Los Angeles fans won’t soon forget: Howie Kendrick and the Washington Nationals advance. (Image: Robert Hanashiro/USA TODAY Sports)

Few saw this coming. The Dodgers set a team record with 106 regular season wins. They entered the MLB playoffs with the second shortest World Series odds at 5/2.

Bettors flocked to place bets on Los Angeles. And oddsmakers had the luxury of taking them on five games with a series price that ended up in the house’s favor.

The Westgate SuperBook took $50,000 and two separate $25,000 bets on the Dodgers to win last night’s decisive Game 5. After LA went up 3-0, things didn’t look good for the Las Vegas casino.

A solo shot in the 6th by Juan Soto gave the Nats some hope. Soto wasn’t done. Two innings later, he followed a solo shot by Anthony Rendon against Dodgers veteran ace and three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw. The back-to-back home runs evened the game.

Two innings later, another veteran – Howie Kendrick – went yard with the bases loaded for a grand slam that put the game away, 7-3.

Cards Top Braves

In the other NLDS Game 5 matchup, the St. Louis Cardinals took a nearly insurmountable 10-0 lead in the 1st inning in Atlanta against the Braves. Before many fans had even reached their seats, the game was seemingly over.

That was crazy,” said left fielder Marcell Ozuna. “We got a good opportunity, and we took it.”

Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz allowed seven runs (six earned), walked three, and gave up three hits in just 0.1 innings pitched. His outing followed a dominant performance in Game 2 where he tossed seven shutout innings with eight Ks.

Like the Dodgers, the home-team Braves were the betting favorites. Prior to Game 1, the series line had Atlanta favored -140 (implied odds 58.33 percent).

NLCS Showdown

The Dodgers’ early exit isn’t what Major League Baseball wanted, nor the television broadcast networks that air the playoffs. The major market replaced by DC isn’t a worst-case scenario, but ratings will be expected to decline.

That isn’t to say the Nationals and Cardinals National League Championship Series won’t be a doozy. Two evenly matched teams, and oddsmakers have the early series price rather level (Nationals -120, Cardinals even)

The Cards have home field advantage in the best-of-seven series. Game 1 is Friday.

Tonight, the ALDS continues with Game 5 between the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros. The home team is heavily favored at -280. The winner will advance to the ALCS to meet the New York Yankees, which swept the Minnesota Twins.

A loss tonight by the Astros would remove the World Series favorites in quick fashion. It would also give sportsbooks a major win, especially those that have printed the millions of dollars that Houston businessman Mattress Mack has wagered on his team as a hedge against a furniture promotion he ran at his Texas stores.