The 2015 World Series has finally arrived, and the only certain aspect of an evenly matched series is that oddsmakers and bettors alike have a lot on their plates.
The Kansas City Royals haven't won the world title in 30 years, and it's been 29 for the New York Mets, but both clubs are playing lights-out baseball that suggests destiny is on their side. Reliable players in both dugouts seem intent on putting their teams on their backs en route to championship glory.
Simply put, a series that can go either way leaves plenty of enticing lines for bettors to choose from. With that in mind, let's take a look at the odds for Game 1 and the best prop bets for the series, all of which are courtesy of Odds Shark.
Game 1 Odds
Prop Bets
The MVP prop bet is always the toughest of them all, but it never fails to produce intriguing odds and huge payouts.
It's no surprise that Mets slugger Daniel Murphy leads the list by far after tearing through the postseason en route to a major league record six straight postseason games with a home run, but much more value can be found elsewhere. While Yoenis Cespedes may be shied away from due to an injury that has him "not playing with a full tank," per Adam Rubin of ESPN.com, other sluggers have the chance to rewrite history.
For instance, Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer has been unconscious with runners in scoring position, and his extra determination could have him taking home MVP honors, as Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reported:
From Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson to Kansas City's Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar, there's no shortage of strong bats who could knock their way into the MVP conversation.
If recent history is any indication, taking the over here seems like a sure bet.
But when given context, it's pretty hard to see Murphy continuing his torrid home run pace throughout the World Series. Yes, he's hit homers in six straight games, but nobody is more wary of that than the Royals, who will be doing everything they can to keep the ball away from him.
Plus, there's that whole magazine curse he has to deal with, as noted by Rubin:
When it comes down to it, Kansas City is likely to intentionally walk Murphy when possible rather than let him have shots at hitting the ball out of the park. If that's the case, hitting more than one home run in the series seems like a stretch—even for him.
If there's one bet you don't want to take in this article, it's predicting a four-game sweep.
Sure, the Mets swept the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS, but that series wasn't competitive for a reason—the Cubs aren't ready. However, the Royals are.
Both squads have some serious cheese on the mound that will make opposing lineups struggle, and that should lead to both teams notching at least a couple of wins throughout the series. Don't bet on anything other than a six- or seven-game battle, which has the lowest odds for a reason.
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