Fans eager to catch baseball’s brightest star in his postseason debut lined up in a major way to cash in on the megastar’s bat.
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was the most bet-on player to hit a home run (+225) Saturday as MLB's division series round kicked off, and his over 1.5 total bases (+100) represented the most bet on prop bet.
Shohei Ohtani makes his MLB postseason debut in tomorrow's Game 1 of the NLDS vs. the Padres.
— Shane Jackson (@SJacksonMGM) October 4, 2024
He's the most-bet player to hit a home run, and his over 1.5 total bases is the most-bet prop @BetMGM.
The presumptive 2024 NL MVP came through for his backers, as he cracked a three-run home run in his second plate appearance Saturday night.
SHOHEI OHTANI TIES THE GAME!!! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/EkcONeweie
— MLB (@MLB) October 6, 2024
It’s perhaps no surprise that Ohtani, coming off a season of historic proportions, has captivated the attention of not only sports bettors but the entirety of the sports world.
Entering their best-of-five Division Series with the Padres, the Dodgers were considered favorites to advance to their sixth NLCS in nine seasons, priced at -137 at BetMGM, while owning the second-best outright World Series odds behind the New York Yankees at +340.
If the Dodgers do ultimately hope to win their first World Series in a full-length season since 1988, there’s little doubt that Ohtani, alongside fellow superstars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman -- the latter of whom is currently nursing a severe ankle injury -- will need to the team’s best players over the next month.
While Betts and Freeman have had the opportunity to show what they can do when the lights are brightest, the same cannot be said for the 30-year-old Japanese native.
Individual success hasn’t translated … yet
Ohtani has racked up individual awards since coming over from Japan’s NPB, including a pair of AL MVP awards in his back pocket and an NL MVP likely on the horizon. Despite that, however, team success has eluded Ohtani to this point, even having benefited from playing with another one of his generation's all-time greats in Mike Trout on the Los Angeles Angels.
Combining for a grand total of zero playoff appearances while playing down the I-5 in Anaheim, Ohtani’s move to Chavez Ravine has provided plenty of drama, intrigue, and feats few could have dreamed up for the two-way star, despite not pitching the entire 2024 season.
Even ahead of his season, a shocking betrayal at the hands of one his Ohtani’s best public-facing friends gave way to a re-writing of the history books, including the most valuable season ever by a designated hitter and becoming the founding member of MLB’s 50-50 club with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases.
“This game has been around for a long time, and to do something that’s never been done -- he’s one of one,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after he reached the milestone. “It couldn’t be a more talented player. He couldn’t be more humble. … It was a win for Major League Baseball.”
