Pete Rose makes shocking pick for 2023 World Series in first legal sports bet in Ohio: “I don’t know a damn thing about odds. Go Reds!"
Pete Rose is banned from baseball for life for betting on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. MLB's all-time hit leader is not in the Hall of Fame due to that. In an ironic twist, Rose is the person who made the first legal sports bet in Ohio.
Sports gambling has long been a taboo topic. In recent years, though, that has changed. Leagues are partnering with gambling sites and it's become much more accessible.
The crime Rose is banned for is now more legal than it ever was and he took advantage of the opportunity to place a legal bet. Unfortunately, it's not a bet that's likely to pay off.
Pete Rose bets on the Reds to win the World Series with the first official legal sports bet in Ohio. https://t.co/kKHLWKh2ZZ
According to Yahoo! Sports, Rose bet on his former team, the Reds, to win the World Series in 2023:
“I don’t know a damn thing about odds. Go Reds! Go Bengals!”
Fortunately for Rose, the Cincinnati Bengals actually have a shot at winning the Super Bowl. The Reds winning the World Series would be one of the biggest shocks in sports history.
Last season, they finished 62-100, tied for last in the NL Central. To turn around and win the World Series would be a shock, especially after they weren't all that active in free agency.
What are the odds Pete Rose's gamble actually pays off?
Pete Rose took a huge risk betting on the Reds. Hopefully he didn't gamble all that much money because the term "long shot' might not be doing it justice.
Right now, the Reds have the third worst odds to win it all, according to BetMGM. They're at +25000 and the Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics are both at +50000.
The Houston Astros, New York Mets and New York Yankees currently have the best odds at +650, so any of those teams would have been a safer bet.
In truth, any of the remaining 27 teams would have been a safer pick, but Rose wanted to take a chance on his former team. Perhaps they can channel some of Rose's career stats to turn their fortunes around and pay off his good faith.