The 2022 Major League Baseball regular season is 118 days away, though the current lockout over the league’s collective bargaining agreement could change that.
Several of the best sports betting apps Arizona has have taken a stab at projecting the Arizona Diamondbacks’ World Series odds; however, few give the club much in the way of good news.
The Diamondbacks are tentatively scheduled to open the 2022 MLB regular season at 11:10 a.m. Arizona time March 31 at Milwaukee.
Diamondbacks Face Long Odds in 2022
Several Arizona sportsbooks have listed their 2022 World Series and league championship odds, with the D-backs ranking at the bottom in both races.
According to BetMGM Arizona, the D-backs have +25000 odds to win the World Series, which ranks 29th in the league. The operator has Arizona in a tie with the Pittsburgh Pirates, at +12500, for the longest odds at winning the National League.
Over at Caesars Sportsbook, Torey Lovullo’s team has +25000 odds of winning it all, which ranks 29th in the league ahead of the Baltimore Orioles.
At DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona, the D-backs have +15000 odds of winning their second World Series, ahead of the Pirates. The team is tied with Pittsburgh, at +7500, for the longest odds of winning the National League.
The folks at FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona have the D-backs at +25000 to win the World Series, which ranks 29th in the league ahead of the Pirates. The team has +7500 odds of winning the Senior Circuit.
TwinSpires Sportsbook Arizona lists the D-backs at +10000 to win the World Series and +7000 to win the NL.
Finally, Unibet Arizona has Arizona at +10000 to win the 2022 World Series and +7000 to win the NL.
A Look at the Top of MLB
A flurry of offseason activity before this week’s lockout definitely impacted online MLB betting odds.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Texas Rangers made the biggest odds move since the end of the season, dropping from +50000 to win the World Series down to +7500 after spending $500 million dollars to acquire free agent infielders Marcus Semien and Corey Seager.
The New York Mets' pre-lockout moves allowed them to climb into a tie for third in World Series odds at +1100. But the other members of the top three have remained steady since 2022 odds were first posted — the Los Angeles Dodgers at +600, Houston at +1000 and the Chicago White Sox at +1100.
What’s New with the Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks made a series of free agent moves ahead of the MLB’s lockout on Thursday, including signing former Arizona Wildcats pitcher Mark Melancon to a two-year deal.
Melancon led all closers in saves last season as a member of the San Diego Padres, finishing off 39 games while posting a 2.23 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings pitched.
Aside from the veteran reliever, Arizona added first baseman Jordan Luplow in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and signed 2B Jake Hager, DH Matt Davidson, C Juan Graterol, and RP Chris Devenski to minor league contracts.
The D-backs also avoided arbitration with pitchers Noe Ramirez, J.B. Wendelken and Caleb Smith.
Arizona’s trade for Luplow cost them infielder Ronny Simon, who hit .245 with 17 home runs and 63 RBIs in 97 games with the Hillsboro Hops and Visalia Rawhide, who are the D-backs’ low-A and high-A affiliates.
Luplow will hope to improve upon his 2021 stats in the desert, after finishing the year with a .202 average and a 0.3 WAR in his first and only season with the Rays.
One way or another, the ragtag group that Lovullo and GM Mike Hazen will run out is tasked with overcoming long odds for the D-backs in 2022, as the franchise looks to snap its five-year playoff drought.
