Indians’ 2019 World Series Odds Back in the Top 10 at +2400
- Cleveland’s average 2019 World Series odds have shortened to +2400 from +3800 just two weeks ago
- The Indians are the hottest team in baseball, winning 10 of their last 12
- Is now the time to back Cleveland to win it all?
The Cleveland Indians are the hottest team in baseball and online sportsbooks are starting to take notice. Fresh off another victory over the lowly Tigers, Cleveland has now won 10 of its last 12 and is back among to the top-10 favorites to win the 2019 World Series.
2019 World Series Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +280 |
| New York Yankees | +333 |
| Houston Astros | +450 |
| Atlanta Braves | +750 |
| Minnesota Twins | +950 |
| Chicago Cubs | +1300 |
| Washington Nationals | +2000 |
| Boston Red Sox | +2200 |
| Cleveland Indians | +2200 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +2400 |
*Odds taken 07/17/19
Their average 2019 World Series odds have moved from +3800 to +2400 in just two weeks, which puts them ahead of both the Rays and Athletics, who they’re currently battling with for one of the two AL Wild Cards.
The Indians Will Benefit From a Favorable Schedule
At the beginning of June, Cleveland trailed Minnesota by 11.5 games for the AL Central lead. They’ve since cut that deficit to four games, thanks to wins in 26 of their last 37 games. An easy schedule down the stretch should help them contend for at least a Wild Card berth. (Minnesota will have a similarly easy schedule, feasting on the Central’s three also-rans.)
We’re playing REALLY GOOD baseball right now.
If we win tomorrow, it will be our 4th in a row!#WWWindians | #RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/CawBiZigyx
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 17, 2019
The AL Central is the softest division in baseball, and Cleveland still has 23 games left against the White Sox, Royals and Tigers, three teams with a combined winning percentage of .379.
Assuming they rack up wins against those teams, they’ll be in excellent shape to make the postseason, and hopefully they’ll be able to count on two of their forgotten stars once they get there.
Cleveland’s Forgotten Stars Are Trending Up
After a dismal first few months of the season, Jose Ramirez is finally starting to heat up. The preseason MVP candidate came into Wednesday night in the midst of his best offensive stretch of the season. If the Indians can get reliable production from him in the second half, their offense will be tough to shut down.
#Indians 3B Jose Ramirez is batting .333 (16 of 48) since June 21 with six multi-hit games.
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) July 13, 2019
On the mound, Cleveland has been relying heavily on Shane Bieber and Trevor Bauer, but they got some positive news this week as former Cy Young-winner Corey Kluber started throwing bullpen sessions.
Corey Kluber will throw a 20-pitch bullpen session tomorrow, a big step in his rehab.
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) July 16, 2019
He’s still weeks away from returning to the mound, but the ability to add one of the best pitchers in baseball back into the rotation for the stretch run drastically improves their ceiling and World Series chances.
Grab the Value While You Can
The Indians are an excellent bet to make the playoffs and, once the postseason begins, anything can happen. When Kluber returns, they’ll have three excellent starters and now that Ramirez is hitting again, they possess a much more potent lineup.
Their current World Series odds are a bit long for a team with this much talent, and of all the teams with odds of +2000 or longer, I believe they have the best chance of making a deep run. Don’t forget, this team started the year at +1200.
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
