When it comes to
Major League Baseball (MLB), most people have favorites on whom they choose
to place their bets. However, when following a
popular bookmaker's odds, many decide to
back the underdog. These are the least-favorite teams that have the highest
potential for earning, mainly because fewer individuals bet on them.Betting
on the underdog can be a great risk, as they don't really have a
track record for being undefeated. If anything, they usually reach the
"almost there" point, if only to
lose the match. That said, every so often, they can defy all odds and win
events such as the World Series.
The Florida
Marlins going against the New York Yankees was perhaps one of the most
anticipated games. Still, this wasn't about what they
thought the Marlins would win; in fact, the outcome was considered quite
improbable. The team finished 2nd division after the regular
season with 91-71, which wasn't great, but not
terrible either.
Their season
started rather rocky, with a 16-22 score that led the Marlins to fire Jeff
Torborg, their manager. Jack McKeon stepped up into the role, and while he
had experience in the domain, there was still the adjustment issue to
consider. The new manager helped the team head in the right direction, but
there was little belief they could do it in time.
Despite the
Marlins being a Wild Card team and the Yankees being seasoned veterans, the
Marlins won 4-2. This was their second World Series title, with the fourth
and 5th games giving them momentum. Miguel Cabrera's home run in the
4th game and Becket's pitching
performance in the 6th made history, turning them from underdogs
to champions.
All things
considered, with only five games over .500 at the regular season's end, no one
believed the St. Louis Cardinals had any business being in the World Series
2006. When the season was coming to an end, the team lost a total of 10
games of their last 14, giving Houston a 1.5 edge.
Their saving
graces were Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen, the team's only players who
had more than 20 home runs. Chris Carpenter was also the only pitcher with
potential, but his ERA was over 4.00.
Their poor
performance led to a record of 83-78, perhaps their worst since 1999, when
they finished with 75-86. Still, the record was barely good enough to get
them through the National League Central. Fans knew they would put up a
fight, but barely anyone believed they would turn out victorious.
Things took an
abrupt change once they made it into the playoffs. The barely acknowledged
St. Louis Cardinals went against the San Diego Padres, beating them in a
four-game division series. They also played against the New York Mets at the
NLCS, strengthening their position within the season. However, it was once
they were pitched against the Detroit Tigers that things finally got very
hot.
With a 95-57
record, the Tigers were the favored ones and were believed to win the World
Series. However, the Cardinals managed to defeat the Tigers 4-1, claiming
the championship and surprising everyone. Bettors who were inspired enough
to bet on them saw great winnings, as this was the team's first real
victory in a long time.
Moving towards
more recent matches that took us by surprise, we have the match where the US
Washington Nationals went against the Houston Nationals. At that point, the
Nationals were barely even considered a threat.
They had a 19-31
record across 50 games at the beginning of the season, so their start was
even worse than the Marlins; some may even say it was dreadful. At some
point, they even had 12 games under .500, so no one thought they would make
it too far.
The team
eventually got its footing and finished its season with a 93-69 record,
which got it a spot in the postseason. Still, this didn't change the fact
that they were up against the Astros, who had a 107-55 record during the
season.
Against all odds,
the Nationals snatched the title in all seven games of the postseason, which
suggested their superior ability to perform under pressure.
But what changed?
Well, Bryce Harper stepped up in the second half of the season, and Anthony
Rendon also had a lot of momentum. However, a rotation by Patrick Corbin,
Mark Scherzer, and Stephen Strasburg helped the team regain its footing.
The acquisition of
Daniel Hudson also turned the tables and helped them gain momentum, his
pitching skills becoming a great part of the team's success.
The wins of the
Marlins, Cardinals, and Nationals are a testament to how unpredictable
baseball can be. No matter the odds, some teams can go against them and turn
the numbers in their favor. Bettors who can catch these key moments may rely
on knowledge and instinct to turn the tide, just like these teams did.