Unfolding the 2024 Chicago White Sox’s Turbulent Season

In the annals of baseball history, the 2024 Chicago White Sox stand out for all the wrong reasons. Only the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who lost a record 134 games with a minus-732 run differential and were disbanded soon after, have had a worse season. The White Sox, with a regrettable record of 36-120 and a minus-320 run differential during the final week of the regular season, created a unique dilemma for bettors and bookies alike. Were they the worst team to bet on, or the best team to bet against?

The White Sox’s Disastrous Season: A Betters’ Nightmare

It’s been a long, hard season for the White Sox, and their fans have felt every blow. The team was effectively out of the playoffs by mid-August, leaving fans, players, and coaches alike in a state of resignation. Veteran bookmaker Craig Mucklow of Caesars Sportsbook found it challenging to generate betting interest in the White Sox, with many choosing to bet against them instead. “People look to oppose the White Sox every day,” Mucklow lamented.

The Cost of Betting on the White Sox

The standard practice in baseball betting is to rely on the money line, which calculates the odds of winning a game outright. According to data from Covers.com, a bettor placing $100 on the White Sox for each game this season would have suffered a loss of roughly $6,100. This 60-unit loss is the most significant in over two decades, surpassing even the 2018 Baltimore Orioles, the only other team to lose more than $5,000 over a season in the past 20 years.

Profiting from the White Sox’s Misery

On the flip side, some bettors found a silver lining in the White Sox’s dismal performance. Chicago resident Brad Bartel began betting against the White Sox during their record-tying 21-game losing streak in July. He even started a group chat named “White Sox L’s,” revealing that he made around $1,500 by consistently betting against the team.

World Series Dreamers Left Disappointed

The largest World Series bet placed on the White Sox at BetMGM was a mere $150 at 500-1 odds. These futile bets will be pocketed by the bookies. However, bookmakers have also faced their share of challenges with White Sox games. Despite attempts to attract bets on the White Sox through the run-line, most of the action still favored their opponents.

A Tough Season for White Sox Bettors

The White Sox’s 2024 season was an unexpected disaster for both oddsmakers and bettors. Despite having better opening odds to win the World Series than some other teams at various sportsbooks, the White Sox drastically underperformed. Michael “Roxy” Roxborough, a seasoned Las Vegas oddsmaker, admitted that he considered betting over until the team traded their star player Dylan Cease before the season. Even advanced metrics suggested the White Sox should have won more games.

A Hope for a Better Future

Despite the statistical evidence, betting on the White Sox each game would have been a losing proposition. However, as Roxborough noted, “You cannot go to the cashier’s window with stats, but if you were betting on them each game, you deserved a better fate.” And so, the White Sox, their fans, and the bettors who still dare to dream, look forward to a brighter future.