According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Nationals outfielder Juan Soto will miss tonight’s Opening Day game against the Yankees after testing positive for COVID-19.
Soto, who finished ninth in NL MVP voting last season, is once again a candidate to win the award in 2020. Earlier today, Soto was 10-1 to win MVP at DraftKings Sportsbook, but has since been adjusted down to 25-1 with so much uncertainty surrounding his status and potential return to the lineup.
While the high-level question surrounds how long Washington will be without its star slugger, there’s also the effect his absence is having on tonight’s season-opening game against the Yankees.
Prior to the news of the positive test, New York had settled in as a -140 favorite against Washington at PointsBet, but as one would expect, Soto’s availability (or lack thereof) is certainly significant enough to affect betting odds.
As of 2:37 p.m. ET, the Yankees have pumped to -165 at PointsBet. In turn, the Nats have tumbled from +120 to +140.
Based on The Action Network’s real-time MLB public data, 66% of moneyline bets have landed on New York, and don’t be surprised to see that number climb as tonight’s first pitch approaches.
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