Underdogs Rise: Surprising Championship Wins in Sports Betting

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Pushing The Odds with Matt Perrault

Long-Shot Champions Highlight a Wild Year in Sports

This has been a remarkable year for improbable championship runs. Indiana entered the college football season at 150-to-1 odds before becoming national champion, while Seattle was once 60-to-1 to win the Super Bowl before Sam Darnold led the team past the Patriots in San Francisco.

The Brewers joined that list after entering the season at 30-to-1 odds to win the World Series. Their championship was especially notable given the Dodgers’ dominance as back-to-back champions and Milwaukee’s status as the smallest metropolitan market to win a World Series.

Other surprising champions included the Wolverines, who had been good but had gone about 20 years without winning anything, and the New York Knicks at 22-to-1. The Knicks completed an improbable season despite continuing to create problems for themselves under James Dolan. Their championship came despite Dolan, not because of him.

Team USA also won hockey gold by beating Canada. The Carolina Hurricanes, meanwhile, entered at 8.5-to-1 and were among the favorites to win the Cup. Even that felt unusual for a franchise still viewed as the Hartford Whalers and one that does not play in a traditional hockey hotbed.

The recent run of champions shows how far sports have moved from domination by teams such as the Dodgers and Yankees. Long shots have repeatedly broken through, creating a memorable stretch across multiple leagues.

In baseball, the 2023 Rangers were 50-to-1, the 2015 Royals were 33-to-1, and the 2026 Brewers were 30-to-1. Among the most profitable World Series champions based on a $100 bet were the 2005 White Sox, the 2018 Red Sox, the 2015 Royals and the Brewers. I was among those holding a Brewers ticket after buying one at Hard Rock in Florida.

The Brewers became a franchise in 1970, reached the World Series in 1982 and lost, then finally captured their first championship. It was a special moment for Milwaukee fans, who passionately support their teams even though championships have often been difficult to secure.

That passion is familiar across Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska. Fans travel for bowl games, support their teams and bring an unmistakable energy with them. After Milwaukee’s victory, it would not have been surprising if Tampa had run out of Miller Lite.

The level of attention surrounding the Brewers was clear two nights earlier at the Bucks game, where the stands were nearly empty. Fans were either at home or gathered at the ballpark to watch the baseball game on a screen, fully invested in Milwaukee’s historic championship run.