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Ronald Acuna Jr.'s Season-Ending Injury Causes Shakeup in MLB Futures Markets

Andrew Reid

Last Updated: May 29, 2024 11:16 AM EDT • 2 min 15 sec read.

Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves walks off the field with trainers as we look at the MLB Futures markets adjustments in the wake of his season-ending injury.
Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves walks off the field with trainers after an apparent injury on May 26, 2024. Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images via AFP.

It's happened again, sort of. After missing half of the 2021 MLB season due to a torn ACL ligament in his right knee, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. has suffered another season-ending knee injury, this time tearing his left ACL. Our best sports betting sites have had to react accordingly with their MLB futures markets. 

It's not the first time this season that they've had to react to devastating injury news for the Braves. Atlanta lost All-Star pitcher Spencer Strider to a UCL injury in early April, which resulted in season-ending surgery. You don't simply replace a 20-win pitcher without your World Series odds taking a moderate hit. 

The Acuna impact

The 26-year-old Acuna's numbers haven't been as impressive this season as last when he was named the NL MVP. He's coming off a season where he plated 149 runs and racked up 217 hits, with 73 stolen bases and a .416 OBP, all figures that led not just the National League but the entirety of MLB. He also belted 41 home runs while batting .337.

He's dipped a bit this year, but it's not like he's easily replaceable, especially not on the basepaths, where his 16 stolen bags put him fourth in the majors.

Caesars' Lead Baseball Oddsmaker Eric Biggio stated, "Basically, the Braves and Phillies switched places in terms of outrights. Braves went from 11/2 to 8/1 in the World Series and 3/1 to 9/2 in the National League. Dodgers and Phillies were also shortened to compensate."

Other industry adjustments

Caesars wasn't the only one who had to make sweeping changes to the Braves' odds in the wake of the injury. DraftKings, BetMGM, ESPN BET, and our other best sports betting apps all had to make adjustments on a team that opened with the second-shortest World Series odds.

Most markets around the industry had the Braves priced in the +400 to +450 range ahead of the injury, and those lines even withstood the Strider news in mid-April. Following the loss of the outfielder, we see DraftKings and ESPN BET at +650, while BetMGM moved to +800.

FanDuel, who along with DraftKings forms the big two in the nation, has also moved to +800. bet365 has retained one of the most conservative prices in the industry, moving to just +600.

Industry-wide across our best MLB betting sites, we see the Braves with the fourth shortest odds. They opened the season behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, but have been surpassed by the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies. 

Other markets

It's not just the Braves' World Series odds that have taken a hit, but in turn so have their National League and NL East odds. 

The Braves were behind the Dodgers in the National League since before the season opened, but they've fallen behind the Phillies in the wake of the news. Using our DraftKings promo code will get you a +340 price on them to capture the NL. Despite all the injuries they remain third in the conference, with a sizable distance between them and the Milwaukee Brewers (+1200). 

On Opening Day they were prohibitive favorites to claim the NL East in the -275 range, but you can catch them at +165 by using our FanDuel promo code. That said, they're five games back of the Phillies (-200) and it's not about to get easier without Strider or Acuna. 

One market that didn't adjust much? The NL MVP market. The reigning-champ was having such a subpar season that he was already trading in the +2000 range ahead of his injury, so a new NL MVP is in the cards for 2024.

Written By:
Andrew Reid
Andrew is a Publishing Editor at Sportsbook Review. He graduated from Acadia University with a degree in Kinesiology, working as a personal trainer and in injury rehab, and then attended the College of Sports Media in Toronto to attain a diploma in Radio and Television Sports Broadcasting. Andrew has been involved in the sports betting and fantasy sports space since joining the FNTSY Sports Network in 2014, where he worked as a producer, director, and occasional on-air talent on various shows focusing on sports betting and DFS content. Prior to joining SBR, he spent multiple years with the USA Today Network as an editor and writer. Living in Newfoundland, Andrew frequents grey market sportsbooks, but in the past, when he's lived in regulated areas, he's become well-versed with all of our best sportsbooks. As strictly a casual bettor, he enjoys making touchdown parlays with friends (bro-lays), sweating out golf cut parlays during majors, playing same-game parlays for fun, and chasing long-shot bets. He also enjoys using sportsbooks that have solid iGaming and casino platforms. As the old guy on staff, he has an affinity for industry news, which confuses some, but shh ... quiet ... the news is on.