Arizona Diamondbacks’ World Series Run a True Underdog Story

Major sports moments often fall victim to recency bias and hyperbole, as notable championship runs have almost always been done before.

But there is truly no comparison for the Arizona Diamondbacks’ longshot run to within four wins of the World Series.

The D-Backs began the season as 180-to-1 underdogs to win the 2023 World Series at DraftKings, and if they take out the Rangers, it will be the most unlikely championship in the recorded history of baseball.

The Minnesota Twins currently hold the honor, as they were 90-to-1 preseason longshots to claim the 1991 championship before doing so, according to SportsOddsHistory, while the Marlins were 75-to-1 underdogs in 2003.

But this is on another level, as the D-Backs completely defied preseason projections and have pulled continual upsets in the postseason.

Arizona has played in 12 MLB playoff games and has been the underdog in every single one. The Diamondbacks have won nine of them outright. If a bettor placed $100 on the Diamondbacks’ moneyline for every game this postseason, he or she would be up $885 in profit through 12 games.

Here is the breakdown of the Diamondbacks’ moneyline odds for every game of the postseason, and the accompanying result. 

  • Wild Card Game 1: +150 (6-3 win at MIL)
  • Wild Card Game 2: +110 (5-2 win at MIL)
  • NLDS Game 1: +165 (11-2 win at LAD)
  • NLDS Game 2: +130 (4-2 win at LAD)
  • NLDS Game 3: +110 (4-2 win vs. LAD)
  • NLCS Game 1: +144 (5-3 loss at PHI)
  • NLCS Game 2: +140 (10-0 loss at PHI)
  • NLCS Game 3: +108 (2-1 win vs. PHI)
  • NLCS Game 4: +114 (6-5 win vs. PHI)
  • NLCS Game 5: +110 (6-1 loss vs. PHI)
  • NLCS Game 6: +154 (5-1 win at PHI)
  • NLCS Game 7: +144 (4-2 win at PHI)
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Arizona will open the World Series as, you guessed it, underdogs to claim the championship. The Rangers are listed as -175 favorites, per BetMGM, with Arizona listed at +145 to claim the second title in its history.

The D-Backs will be underdogs for the 13th consecutive postseason game on Friday, as their odds of winning the World Series opener in Texas sit at +140, while the Rangers are -165 favorites. The scoring total for the game is set at eight runs.

The Diamondbacks started out hot this year, and one observant bettor at DraftKings placed an early-season bet on them to win it all. The wager was $1,000 at 130-to-1 odds, which means the payout will be $130,000 if Arizona pulls it off.

After the strong start came a major swoon, as the Diamondbacks’ championship odds dropped back down to 150-to-1 on August 10th as they dipped below .500 on the year. But the resilient Snakes sneaked into the playoffs and have been great ever since.

Two years ago, the Diamondbacks lost 110 games and there were unceasing calls for the firing of Torey Lovullo.

Now, Lovullo and his crew need just four victories to claim the most unlikely World Series championship in recorded history.

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