2025 MLB Odds: Bettors Believe Detroit Tigers Can Win AL Pennant
Bettors at one sportsbook would certainly argue that's the case when it comes to the AL Pennant race, because at BetMGM, they're backing Detroit in a big way.
At +340, the Tigers are the favorite to win the AL.
They also have the highest ticket at 22.1% and the highest handle at 19.4%.
And if you guessed that Detroit is BetMGM's biggest liability when it comes to this market, you were right.
But will bettors' enthusiasm translate to them winning the league? Let's dive into one expert's insight after taking a look at some of the Tigers' other odds at BetMGM as of Aug. 5.
World Series+900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
American League Central Winner-10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
World Series: Division of Winning TeamAL Central: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
World Series: League of Winning TeamAmerican: +125 (bet $10 to win $22.50 total)
ALCS: Division of Winning TeamAL Central: +280 (bet $10 to win $38 total)
Are the 66-48 Tigers actually a good bet to win the AL — especially since they're in a league with contenders like the Yankees and Blue Jays?
According to FOX MLB writer Rowan Kavner, the organization fell slightly short of beefing up its roster with the necessary pieces at the trade deadline to make a real push.
"Considering they've been one of the best teams in baseball all year, I expected them to more meaningfully address their deficiencies," Kavner wrote about the Tigers' trade deadline moves. "They could have used an elite piece at the back end. Instead, they opted to address their pitching issues with quantity over quality, favoring slight upgrades over major upside.
"They should still cruise to a division title, but this felt like an opportunity missed."
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
College football Top 25: After a disappointing end to the 2024 season, No. 4 Oregon looks for playoff success
College football officially begins this month. Now that it's August, there are less than two weeks until Kansas State and Iowa State meet in Dublin to begin the 2025 regular season. And since the season is quickly approaching, we're rolling out our preseason Top 25. Next up in our rankings is the No. 4 team, and the rest will be revealed in the coming days. (All odds are from BetMGM.) Previously: Nos. 11 through 25, No. 10 Miami, No. 9 Alabama, No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 7 LSU, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 5 Georgia No. 4 Oregon 2024 record: 13-1 Odds to win national championship: +900 College Football Playoff odds: -275 2024 in 100 words The only undefeated regular season team in college football suffered an ignominious defeat in the Rose Bowl to Ohio State. The Ducks took down the Buckeyes 32-31 in the regular season as time ran out on Ohio State's final drive in Eugene. The Ducks didn't have another close game again until a late-season visit to Wisconsin. The Badgers mucked the game up just enough but didn't have the offensive firepower to pull the upset in Oregon's 16-13 win. The Ducks then beat Penn State 45-37 in the Big Ten title game before getting blitzed 41-21 by the Buckeyes in Pasadena to end Oregon's playoff hopes. The quarterback Dante Moore The transfer from UCLA spent the 2024 season as Dillon Gabriel's backup. With Gabriel in the NFL, the 2025 season is the chance for Moore to be the third straight Oregon QB to be a Heisman finalist. Moore played in nine games as a freshman at UCLA in 2023. He was 114-of-123 passing for 1,610 yards and 11 TDs with nine interceptions. He appeared in five games in 2024 and threw just eight passes. The former five-star recruit was the top player in Michigan and the No. 3 player in the country in the class of 2023 when he committed to the Bruins. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning applauded Moore's patience at Big Ten media day as the junior inherits a very quarterback-friendly offensive system. 'I think probably what impressed me most with Dante is not wanting to be in a microwave society, not wanting to just get it fast because there's an opportunity in front of him, but to have the slow-cooked meal, to have the opportunity to sit back and mature and learn, learn from experiences that you don't necessarily have to be on the field to feel. The same goes for [QB Austin Novosad]. The same goes for [QB Luke Moga] and the other guys in our program. 'Those guys have learned from great quarterbacks that have done it at a really, really high level. For him to have that opportunity, show maturity, develop in his leadership, I think it's going to create great opportunities for our team.' Moore should have the opportunity for a lot of completions in Oregon's offense. Bo Nix set the FBS record with a 77.4% completion percentage in 2023 and Gabriel completed 72.9% of his passes in 2024. Both players threw for at least 30 TDs. If Moore comes close to those numbers, Oregon's offense shouldn't miss a beat. Non-QB to watch S Dillon Thieneman Thieneman arrives at Oregon after spending his first two seasons at Purdue. He was a second-team all-Big Ten selection in both years and had 106 tackles and six interceptions as a freshman. He failed to grab a pick in 2024 but still had 104 tackles to lead a Purdue defense that was on the field far too often during a rough season. The junior should immediately step into the starting lineup at safety as Oregon had to replace three starters at defensive back. The Ducks allowed just 186 passing yards per game in 2024 as opposing QBs completed less than 56% of their passes. Best position group Running back It was a toss-up between the backfield and the guys blocking up front, with a slight edge to the running backs. After Jordan James rushed for 1,267 yards and 15 TDs in 2024, Oregon added Tulane running back Makhi Hughes in the transfer portal. Hughes rushed for 1,378 yards and seven TDs as a freshman in 2023 and had 1,401 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns in 2024. Noah Whittington also returns after rushing for 540 yards and six touchdowns. Don't sleep on former D2 All-American Jay Harris either. He rushed for over 1,400 yards in 2023 at Northwest Missouri State before redshirting at Oregon in 2024. Biggest game Sept. 27 at Penn State We get a Big Ten title game rematch in the first month of the season. Penn State carved Oregon up on the ground in that game while Oregon WR Tez Johnson had 11 catches for 181 yards and a TD. The Nittany Lions have a new defensive coordinator in former Ohio State assistant Jim Knowles, and Oregon will need to rely on new faces at receiver with Johnson in the NFL and Evan Stewart likely to miss part or all of the season with a knee injury he suffered in the spring. Why Oregon is at No. 4 That game against Penn State clearly looks like Oregon's toughest of the season barring a surprise somewhere else in the Big Ten. The Ducks travel to Iowa and Washington, but get Indiana and USC at home and avoid both Michigan and Ohio State. That friendly schedule should put Oregon in the driver's seat for a second straight Big Ten title game appearance. The Ducks will also have a very experienced offensive line that could gel quickly. Oregon added Emmanuel Pregnon (USC) and Isaiah World (Nevada) in the transfer portal and are hoping for a healthy season from Matthew Bedford. He played in just one game due to injury after transferring from Indiana in 2024. World was one of the most sought-after offensive linemen in the transfer portal and should start at left tackle. There are a couple questions at receiver with Stewart's absence and the departure of TE Terrance Ferguson. Malik Benson arrives from Florida State and there should be enough depth, though Oregon would be thrilled to have a clear No. 1 target emerge like Troy Franklin in 2023 and Johnson in 2024. Linebacker Bryce Boettcher is also back after leading the team in tackles (94) in 2024. Matayo Uiagalelei steps into the starting lineup full-time after recording 9.5 sacks in 2024 and Teitum Tuioti is also back after he had 5.5 sacks. The defensive line also adds former four-star recruit Bear Alexander after stops at Georgia and USC. Alexander redshirted in 2024 after playing four games for the Trojans.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
What are the Auburn Tigers paying Middle Tennessee for 2027 game?
How much will Middle Tennessee be paid for 2027 trip to Auburn? The Auburn Tigers have been in the news lately when it comes to scheduling future opponents. They recently announced a 2026 matchup with the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. News broke on July 22 that the Tigers will host the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in their first-ever meeting in 2027. That could be an interesting matchup with Derek Mason, now the head coach of the Blue Raiders. Mason was the defensive coordinator for the Tigers in 2021 under Bryan Harsin. Whenever a group of five school or lower plays a power five school, it is a big financial game for that school. Recently, it was reported that Jacksonville State will receive $1.5 million to visit Auburn in 2026. On Monday, Kevin Kelly of reported that Middle Tennessee will be paid $1.45 million to play the Tigers. That is not the biggest payday the Blue Raiders have received for playing a game, though. In 2023, the Blue Raiders received $1.6 million to play Alabama in a game they lost 56-7. They received the same amount to play Ole Miss in 2024. Auburn has recently given some schools big money to play them. According to the Montgomery Advertiser, Auburn paid UMass $1.95 million in 2023. They also paid New Mexico State a lot of money that season in a game the Tigers lost 31-10. Mason coached his first season with Middle Tennessee last year, leading to a disappointing 3-9 record. If the trend continues for the team, Mason may not be the coach when they play Auburn in 2027. The same thought can be said about Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze if things do not get better. Auburn is also scheduled to play Missouri State in 2027. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Notre Dame's 20-man defensive line and the 2024 attrition lessons that drive it
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame defensive line coach Al Washington didn't want to engage with the question, more out of superstition than protocol. Washington had already discussed most of his personnel, one by one, in a news conference last week before the absence of defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio came up. The senior missed last Wednesday's open portion of camp, taking away a starter for a position group accustomed to playing at less than full strength. Advertisement 'I'm numb now after last year,' Washington laughed. 'No, he'll be back. He's been great. Nothing there.' Sure enough, Rubio was back repping with the fully stocked defensive line on Sunday morning as Notre Dame's preseason stretched into its second week. The position group, which is more than 20 players strong, is both a response to last season and a show of force for this one. Notre Dame added two defensive tackles in the transfer portal, but Jared Dawson (Louisville) and Elijah Hughes (USC) ran with the second and third teams, respectively, on Sunday. Bryce Young arrived as a five-star prospect last year and ended up on Bruce Feldman's Freaks List this summer, but he worked with the second-team defensive line, alongside Rubio. With 20 scholarship defensive linemen at Washington's disposal, this might feel like an embarrassment of riches. After last season's march through a 16-game season that ended in the national championship game, the defensive line coach knows returns on investment are hardly guaranteed. Notre Dame looked like it had reliable depth on last year's line, too, only to watch seven of the nine defensive linemen who played in the season opener at Texas A&M suffer some season-altering injury. That number doesn't include Rubio, who missed the first half of the regular season recovering from a broken foot. It's better to have depth than not, which isn't the same as knowing that depth will be there for the long haul. 'It's a comfort to have that depth, but also I think there's many guys in that room that can help us and will help us,' head coach Marcus Freeman said. 'You're going to have to find roles for those guys. How can they help us? If they can help us, we're going to find a role to get them on the field.' On Sunday, Notre Dame offered a glimpse of how the defensive line might line up at Miami (Fla.) in three weeks, with a starting lineup of ends Boubacar Traore and Josh Burnham, with Donovan Hinish and Jason Onye at defensive tackle. The second unit featured ends Young and Junior Tuihalamaka, with Dawson and Rubio at tackle. End Jordan Botelho remains limited as he recovers from this summer's pectoral injury. Advertisement In an ideal world, Washington would head to Miami with at least 10 defensive linemen ready to play. Seven different linemen logged at least 25 snaps in the heat of the Week 1 trip to Texas A&M last year, with none getting more than 50. 'The unique thing is, a lot of guys in the room played,' Washington said. 'We have some freshmen and a couple of redshirt guys that haven't yet. But with our philosophy on defense, it's to kind of go in waves. The season is longer; we experienced that last year. You have to develop from the youngest all the way up. That's a benefit. 'The culture in the room has to be one where you appreciate at any given moment your number is called, and the objective is to play the best ball we can. That's the message we preach, our guys preach. A lot of the guys around last year saw the benefit of that because we had some tough injuries and some things happened.' Notre Dame lost Botelho and Traore to torn ACLs by early October. Burnham suffered an ankle sprain against Northern Illinois that lingered all season. As soon as Rubio returned in mid-October, Onye was lost for the season due to what Notre Dame described as 'personal reasons.' Rylie Mills suffered torn knee ligaments against Indiana. Young battled a hamstring issue. Cross was sidelined in November with an ankle sprain. The hypothetical depth the Irish thought they had? They never had it. Washington isn't necessarily managing camp differently in light of last season, but he wants to lean into his depth even more than he already has. What's the point of 20 scholarship defensive linemen if you can't use them in August, taking reps off those frontline players in the process? 'You have to be smart. You have the luxury to be smart,' Washington said. 'Nobody should be like, 'Hey, you're back in and getting 50-60 reps.' We have to win this year. We have to be the best version of us. But we have the luxury to also make sure we're smart with people. We're not putting people in bad spots.' Advertisement Washington was talking about Botelho's return from his summer injury; the sixth-year senior is already doing some individual drill work. However, he could have been talking about Traore, less than a year removed from that ACL. Or he could have been talking about Rubio not overtaxing his healed foot. Or Burnham staying on his feet after that high ankle sprain. If all goes to plan, Notre Dame will be able to make hockey line changes up front, and the players know it. The Irish had eight different defensive linemen log at least 300 snaps last season. Washington wouldn't mind having more players do so this fall. They'll tweak the approach under defensive coordinator Chris Ash, going away from boundary (short side) and field (wide side) ends in favor of just playing right and left. In theory, that change lets Washington mix and match defensive ends by down-and-distance, perhaps getting Traore and Young on the field at the same time, leaning into the pass rush when the moment suits it. Suppose there's any lasting benefit from last season's grind into mid-January. In that case, it's the realization that college football players aren't automatically built to endure it, at least not along the defensive front. 'It's an awesome feeling to know that you can go out there for four or five plays, give your all and someone's gonna be right there to be able to pick up where you left off,' Burnham said. 'I mean, you definitely want to be out there as long as possible, but at the same time, just knowing the depth that we have in this room, if you're not gonna give your all every play, the next one in line is.' Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
