Astros’ World Series Odds Improve to +500 After Ousting A’s
- The Houston Astros World Series odds have shifted from +875 to +500 now that they’ve advanced to the ALCS
- The Astros have won five of their six 2020 MLB postseason games
- Houston’s lineup has come to life after struggling in the regular season
The Houston Astros took care of the Oakland Athletics in four games in the ALDS and now they’ve advanced to the ALCS.
As a result, their 2020 World Series odds have improved to +500. They’ve be overlooked and underestimated in the postseason so far. Are they finally worth a bet at this point?
2020 World Series Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Dodgers | +175 |
| Yankees | +375 |
| Braves | +400 |
| Rays | +500 |
| Astros | +500 |
Odds as of Oct. 9th.
Astros Have Surprised Experts, Oddsmakers
The Astros finished the regular season just 29-31. In a regular year, a .483 winning percentage wouldn’t get them anywhere near a playoff berth. However, with the expanded postseason format this year, they snuck in as a No. 8 seed.
Without a doubt, they’ve made the most of their opportunity.
They started off as a +150 underdog in their Wild Card Series with the Minnesota Twins but they swept the Twins with relative ease. Many people felt that the Twins were an easy target – the franchise has now lost 18 straight playoff games – but the more-seasoned Athletics were supposed to be a bigger hurdle.
The Astros beat the Athletics in the ALDS. pic.twitter.com/edoSW14j9w
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 9, 2020
The A’s entered the ALDS as a -140 favorite but they also offered little resistance. Even though they won the regular-season series with Houston (6-4) and won the American League West by seven games, they ended up losing the ALDS in just four games, giving up 33 runs in the process.
The Astros will now enter the ALCS having won five of their last six.
Astros Bats Are Red Hot
One of the reasons why the Astros are where they are is because their bats have come to life in the postseason. They finished the regular season just 20th in team batting average (.240) and 19th in home runs. So far this postseason, they are third in home runs and second in batting average (.281).
Shortstop Carlos Correa has been a man possessed, clubbing four home runs and 12 RBI in just six games. He’s getting some good support from Michael Brantley, who is batting .346, George Springer, who is batting .296. and Jose Altuve, who is batting .273.
Altuve’s turnaround, in particular, is a big surprise after he batted just .219 in the regular season.
Winners. WIN! #ForTheH pic.twitter.com/RFUfTOR1IP
— Houston Astros (@astros) October 8, 2020
The concern here is still the pitching. The Astros’ team ERA is a reasonable 3.83 and their WHIP of 1.19 is not bad compared to the league as a whole, but it ranks them seventh among playoff teams. That might not be good enough to win them the title.
What’s the Best Bet?
The Astros have had a nice run but there are still plenty of skeptics out there. First off, they swept the Twins and needed just four games against the A’s, but neither of those teams have a great track record of playoff success. The A’s haven’t been to the ALCS since 2006 – even though they’ve been in the playoffs six times since then.
Correa bat flip. Astros up.#MLBonTBS pic.twitter.com/fqAkuqtdBG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 8, 2020
The Astros bats are cooking but someone with a better pitching staff will be able to shut them down. The concern is the National League teams more so than the American League squads – especially the Los Angeles Dodgers, who led all of baseball in ERA and WHIP.
If you’re looking for a value play, take a shot with the Astros to win the ALCS at around +275 rather than the World Series.
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
