When San Diego Padres outfielder Trent Grisham crushed a belt-high fastball into right field stands for a 2-0 fourth inning lead in Game 3 of Major League Baseball’s National League Division Series, bettors spotted a strange anomaly on the futures market at FanDuel.
With the best-of-five series knotted at one game apiece, the Padres suddenly appeared poised to take a commanding lead against the heavily favored Dodgers. With a franchise-record 111 victories, Los Angeles remained the top NL choice to win the World Series at +340. The Padres lingered on the World Series’ futures market as the fourth choice at +600, behind the Astros, Dodgers, and Yankees.
But on the live NL pennant market, the sports betting odds fluctuated rapidly, as San Diego became the favorite to represent the National League in the World Series. The disparity created an arbitrage opportunity for astute bettors.
At the time, FanDuel installed the Padres as the +185 favorite to win the National League Championship Series (NLCS), ahead of the Phillies and the Dodgers at +220 and +260, respectively. Earlier in the day, the Phillies took a 2-1 series lead over the defending World Series champion Braves. By Sunday morning, the season ended for the Dodgers and Braves, with both sent home in surprising four-game defeats.