Red Sox 2019 World Series Odds Are +2500 at All-Star Break; Can Boston Win the Fall Classic?
By Robert Duff in MLB Baseball
Updated: March 29, 2020 at 4:04 pm EDTPublished:
- The defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox reached the MLB All-Star break with odds of +2500 to repeat
- The Red Sox won five of their last six games prior the the All-Star break
- Boston hasn’t won successive World Series since 1915-16
The tagline on the official Twitter feed of the Boston Red Sox simply states, “We wanna do it again.” “It” being win the World Series for the second year in a row.
That was a difficult case to make as the BoSox stumbled out of the gate 1-5 and sat at 11-17 on April 28. But of late, the Red Sox look the part of legitimate contenders, as everyone in the baseball world assumed they would be on Opening Day.
American League Odds to Win 2019 World Series
| Team | AL Odds to Win World Series |
|---|---|
| New York Yankees | +333 |
| Houston Astros | +375 |
| Minnesota Twins | +850 |
| Boston Red Sox | +2500 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +2500 |
| Cleveland Indians | +3000 |
| Oakland A’s | +3500 |
| Texas Rangers | +5000 |
| Los Angeles Angels | +10000 |
| Chicago White Sox | +25000 |
*Odds taken on 07/09/19. Follow link for complete list.
Boston reached the MLB All-Star break on a high note. The Sox won four straight, captured five of six, and took their last two series. Granted, it was against the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers, not exactly the upper echelon of the AL.
The sportsbooks aren’t quite ready yet to invest heavily in Boston futures. Across a collection of leading sportsbooks, the Red Sox average out at +2500 in the World Series odds. To put that in stark perspective, Boston’s odds of winning the 2019 World Series sat at +640 on Oct. 29, shortly after they defeated the LA Dodgers in five games to capture the 2018 World Series title.
Red Sox Revving Up
Why believe in the BoSox? Let’s count some of the reasons. Mookie Betts leads the AL with 77 runs. Xander Boegaerts shares the league lead with 29 doubles. Betts (.392) and Boegarts (.384) are both in the top seven in on-base percentage.
https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1148742240229105664
Rafael Devers (.546), JD Martinez (.541) and Boegaerts (.535) all rank among the top 10 in slugging percentage.
Hunter Hemblee recently returned to the bullpen from IL. Plans are to slot in former starter Nathan Eovaldi as closer once he returns from elbow surgery.
Boston has won a league-leading 29 road games and sits two games out of a wildcard position, despite a dismal 20-22 home mark. If the BoSox can solve their Fenway Park foibles the rest of the way, then look out.
Should You Be Betting On Boston?
A month ago, the answer might’ve been no. But since they were 34-34 on June 11, the Red Sox have gone 15-7.
Are there still concerns? For sure. A team that includes David Price, Chris Sale and Rick Porcello among their starters ranks 18th in starting pitcher ERA.
#RedSox pushing to add a starting pitcher, sources tell The Athletic. Would prefer to act sooner rather than later. Casting wide net.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 8, 2019
The Red Sox look prepared to beef up their staff via trade, with Zack Wheeler (Mets), Matthew Boyd (Tigers), Madison Bumgarner (Giants) and Tanner Roark (Reds) all on their radar.
Boston still has better odds to win than current AL playoff teams Cleveland (+3000) and the same odds as top AL wildcard Tampa Bay (+2500).
Realistically, getting +2500 on a defending champ is a price that’s going to be hard to pass up.
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
