Washington D.C. is the First Installment for Title Town Odds
Fast-forward to October 2019, when the Washington Nationals (né Montreal Expos) defeated the Houston Astros, they won that franchise’s first ever World Series. In a historic series that saw the road team win all seven games, the Nats outdueled the ‘Stros in an edge-of-your-seat thrilling game seven. Stephen Strasburg, the first overall draft pick in 2009, was named the series MVP with victories in games two and six.
21-year old left fielder Juan Soto, along with right fielder Adam Eaton and third baseman Anthony Rendon, led the attack. And the winner in the “feelies” category is first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who was the first-ever draft pick of the Nationals after their move from Montreal. With one major championship trophy in the Nation’s capital, can Washington follow Detroit’s path to become the next Title Town?
Why the Redskins Have No Shot of Joining the Triumvirate and Will Ruin D.C.’s Title Town Odds
Unfortunately for Washington, the NFL franchise is in disarray, and eleven weeks into the season is on the verge of being eliminated from postseason competition. Head coach Jay Gruden was relieved of his duties mid-season after an 0-5 start. The lone win of the season came against the then also winless Miami Dolphins the following week. First-round draft pick, quarterback Dwayne Haskins was eventually handed the reins of the offense, but his 58.9 rating has shown he is not quite ready for prime time.
34 year-old running back Adrian Peterson and rookie receiver Terry McLaurin have been the brightest spots on the offense. The defense is sprinkled with some big-name veterans and some promising youngsters, but has severely underperformed. The injury report is littered with more big names. The odds of a Redskins 2020 Super Bowl Championship are +500000, and they will soon be off the board.
But the Capitals Can Boost the Title Town Odds Thanks to John Carlson
On the other hand, the NHL’s Washington Capitals are the best team on ice at the quarter point of the season, and have a money line of +1300 to win the 2020 Stanley Cup, sixth best odds in the league. Washington prospered through a six-game winning streak and a 13-game point streak from mid-October through mid-November. The team’s MVP thus far has been defenseman John Carlson, who is among the league leaders in points and in plus/minus; 12-time All Star and team captain Alex Ovechkin is near the top in goals scored, power play goals, and shots on net. Not surprisingly, the Caps are lead the league in scoring, putting up 3.7 goals per game.
While goalie Braden Holtby is tied for the league lead in victories, he is middle of the road in goals against, allowing just under three goals per game. Special teams are playing well above average, scoring on almost 25 percent of power plays and clean on over 83 percent of penalty kills. They have scored three short-handed goals and only allowed two.
Maybe Let’s Not Talk About the Title Town Odds and the Wizards
On the other other hand, the Washington Wizards are not doing their part on the hardwood to keep pace with the Nats and Caps. Through the first month of the season, they are tied for the fewest wins in the Eastern Conference.
As five-time All-Star and face-of-the-franchise guard John Wall is sidelined with an Achilles tear potentially for the season, shooting guard Bradley Beal has had the starring role, exploding for more than 30 points per game, leading the team in points and assists. Center Thomas Bryant and point guard Isaiah Thomas have been steady producers. The long odds for a Washington Wizards NBA Championship are +25000.
The 2019 World Series trophy already sits in Nationals Park. The odds for two trophies in the city are best with a +1300 wager on the Capitals. The parlay on a triple-trophy celebration with the Wizards has a line of +351300.
Note 1: We’ll just pass and save the calculations on a potential Redskins Super Bowl too.
Note 2: Washington also currently holds the WNBA crown as the Mystics beat the Connecticut Sun for the franchise’s first ever title in October.
