Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago White Sox hat
Nobody seriously expects a 500-to-1 preseason World Series ticket to survive until October. The Chicago White Sox apparently forgot that part, turning one of baseball’s most ridiculous spring betting options into the outcome at least one major sportsbook now desperately wants to avoid.
Chicago opened the season as long as +50000 to win the World Series, meaning a completely irresponsible $100 bet would return $50,000 in profit if the White Sox somehow finished the job. Now Caesars Sportsbook says Chicago is its biggest liability to win both the American League and World Series, according to Covers.
Someone Could Be Holding A 500-To-1 White Sox Ticket Right Now
That is the beauty (and occasional nightmare) of futures betting.
Sportsbooks can hang enormous numbers on teams they expect to be irrelevant, collect a few novelty wagers, and assume those tickets will die quietly sometime around July.
Chicago did not cooperate.
The White Sox reached odds of +50000 after entering 2026 fresh off three consecutive 100-loss seasons. Two years ago, they lost an MLB-record 121 games. This season, they went 84-78 and made the playoffs.
By the time October arrived, BetMGM had shortened Chicago all the way to roughly +4000 to win the World Series after getting as low as +2,000 during the season.
That creates an incredible difference in potential payout: a $20 wager at +50,000 profits $10,000, while the same $20 at +4000 profits $800.
Someone who bet the White Sox before Opening Day is essentially holding a financial artifact from a period when nobody knew they were going to become competent.
And Caesars really does not want that artifact cashed.
The White Sox Are Making The Problem Worse
The fun part for anyone holding one of those tickets is that Chicago has already refused to immediately disappear.
The White Sox opened their Wild Card Series against Houston with a 6-3 victory and completed the sweep with a 7-3 win to earn the right to face off against the Guardians in the ALDS.
Every additional round makes those ridiculous preseason tickets more uncomfortable.
Caesars head of baseball Eric Biggio identified Chicago as the book’s worst remaining World Series and AL pennant outcome entering the playoffs. BetMGM also listed the White Sox and Padres among its largest championship liabilities.
That does not mean sportsbooks suddenly believe Chicago is the best team in baseball, but at least one person locked in an enormous number before the White Sox became good.