Pirates Soar in MLB Playoff Betting

It's that time of year again when Major League Baseball dominates the US sports news, and this year there is quite an unfamiliar site - the Pittsburgh Pirates are in the post-season for the first time since the early 1990s.

Pirates Enjoying October

Pittsburgh rushed into October with a 94-68 record and a wildcard win over divisional rivals Cincinnati, putting to an end the longest ever losing streak in North American professional sports history - which saw them suffer 20 consecutive losing seasons.

But the Pirates aren't satisfied with stopping there, and they now lead another divisional rival, the St. Louis Cardinals, 2-1 in their American League division series. A League Championship series against either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Atlanta Braves awaits the winner of this match-up.

Effect on Betting

Bet365 Sports has brought the Pirates into 13/2 fourth-favorite to win the World Series at the end of it all. They trail the Boston Red Sox, 12/5, Dodgers, 13/5 and Detroit Tigers, 17/4, but lead four other teams in World Series title odds: Oakland Athletics, 8/1, Cardinals, 12/1, Braves, 17/1, and the Tampa Bay Rays, 33/1.

If baseball is your thing, then bet365 has a smorgasbord of betting options on the playoffs, series and individual games. There are dozens of pre-match and live betting game options, including such diverse options as First Innings Winner, Total Hits, First Team to Score, Highest Scoring Period, and Winning Margins.