In wake of cheating scandal, sportsbook takes bets on Astros getting hit by pitches

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is trying to prevent teams from intentionally throwing at hitters, particularly the cheating-shamed Houston Astros.

But who wants to bet those warnings will be heeded?

At at least one website, you can. Sportsbettingdime.com is taking wagers on potential beanballs directed at Houston players.

According to a release from SBD before Manfred spoke to media Sunday, the over/under for number of times Astros star Alex Bregman is hit by a pitch this season is 10.5. Teammates George Springer (8.5), Jose Altuve (6.5), Yuli Gurriel (6.5) and Carlos Correa (3.5) also have posted odds for getting plunked.

Sportsbettingdime.com is taking bets at 5-to-1 that the first Houston batter of the season will be hit by a pitch. It also has an over/under of 1.0 for HBP of Houston players during its March 26 season opener at home against the Los Angeles Angels.

Column from @timdahlberg | If the #Astros were as bad at stealing signs as they are at apologizing for it, there might be championship flags flying in Los Angeles and New York now.https://t.co/7KWCE36bXV

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) February 14, 2020

You can bet at 1-to-15 (a $15 bet pays $1 in winnings) that the Astros get in a bench-clearing brawl over being hit by a pitch during the 2020 season. The odds the Astros lead the MLB in batters hit-by-pitch? 6-to-1.

Incidentally, SportsBettingDime has the Astros third (8-to-1) among World Series favorites behind the New York Yankees (5-to-1) and Los Angeles Dodgers (6-to-1).

The Pirates are tied for the fourth-worst odds at 250-to-1. The over/under for Pirates wins is 68.5.

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