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- If Shohei Ohtani wins the AL MVP award tonight, sportsbooks will be taking a huge loss.
- Meanwhile, one bettor could cash out close to $1 million.
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On March 19, 2021, Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani was a 30-1 favorite to win the American League MVP award. Since then, his odds have decreased significantly and he is one of three finalists for the award.
The winner will be named tonight and one Nevada bettor is set to cash in should the 27-year-old have his name called. Back on March 19, a bettor at Caesars Palace placed a $30,000 bet on Ohtani to win the AL MVP award.
If he is to win the award tonight, the bettor will net $900,000.
Here is how the line moved throughout the season:
- March 19: +3000
- March 25: +2200
- March 27: +2000
- April 5: +1200
- May 12: +650
- May 19: +150
- June 28: -105
- July 5: -188
- July 13: -333
- August 24: -2500
- Closing: -10000
Not only would an Ohtani win be massive for the one Nevada bettor, but it would be a huge loss for Caesars Sportsbook. Should Ohtani win the award, William Hill will suffer an overall seven-figure loss.
The awards market does not typically attract a lot of money, so this would be significant.
“It’s going to be the biggest loss on that type of market ever,” Adam Pullen, assistant director of trading Caesars Sportsbook, told ESPN. “It’s going to stick out as a line item, when you see award betting and a big minus.”
Throughout the 2021 season, Ohtani hit 46 home runs with 100 RBIs. He also went 9-2 with 156 strikeouts and a 3.31 ERA in 51.2 innings pitched.
The Caesers Palace bettor is not the only one invested in tonight’s award. Along with many others, one bettor has $204,149 on the line.
According to BetMGM, a bettor placed $204,149 on Ohtani to win MVP at -5000 odds. It would pay a net $4,083.
So if Ohtani wins, he or she wins about $4,000. If Ohtani does not win, he or she loses more than $200,000. Oof.
The AL MVP award winner will be announced tonight at 6 p.m. ET on MLB Network.