Bettor loses $150K on Dodgers vs. Pirates

How much money have you ever wagered on a regular-season baseball game?

Whatever the amount is, it’s likely not nearly as much as one better at the Beau Rivage Casino wagered on Tuesday. Someone at the Biloxi, Mississippi, casino wagered a staggering $150,000 on the Los Angeles Dodgers to cover a 2.5-run spread against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

And he or she lost that bet.

The bettor got the Dodgers at -115 to cover the spread. He or she clearly thought that was better value than on the moneyline as Los Angeles was -350 to win straight up. The Pirates were -105 to keep the game within two runs or win and +280 to win straight up. A Dodgers win by three or more runs would have netted the bettor just over $130,000 on that wager.

And that win didn’t happen. The Pirates cashed those +280 odds with a 5-3 win on Tuesday night.

The Dodgers were big favorites because the pitching matchup looked very lopsided. Julio Urias started for Los Angeles while Mitch Keller took the mound for the Pirates. But Urias gave up eight hits and four runs while striking out eight in six innings. Keller walked five in five innings but gave up just two hits and two runs in his time on the mound.

Michael Chavis hit a two-run homer off Urias in the first inning and Tucupita Marcano hit a two-run bomb in the second inning. Those were all the runs the Pirates needed as Los Angeles could only pull within one in the sixth inning before David Price allowed a run in the top of the ninth for a two-run Pirates win.

The Dodgers are still the World Series favorites at BetMGM (+450) and have the best winning percentage in the National League. It’s easy to see why this bettor was enamored with Los Angeles. But regular-season baseball can be weird at points during the 162-game season. Tuesday night was a great example of how the better team doesn’t always win.