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Odds Suggest Another Red Sox-Dodgers World Series Showdown in 2019

Ryan Murphy

by Ryan Murphy in MLB Baseball

Updated Mar 29, 2020 · 3:36 PM PDT

Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts
Mookie Betts and the Red Sox could reign again in October. Photo by Arturo Pardavila III (Wikimedia Commons) [CC License]
  • The Red Sox and Dodgers are favored to face one another again in the 2019 World Series
  • Will the Red Sox rip through the American League for a second straight year?
  • Will the Dodgers improve their odds by making a splash in free agency?

The 2019 World Series is beginning to look like deja vu all over again.

The oddsmakers are forecasting a second consecutive Red Sox-Dodgers showdown at +1700. Those odds are slightly shorter than other potential matchups including Dodgers vs Astros at +1900 and Dodgers vs Yankees at +1900.

2019 World Series Matchup Odds

Which Teams Will Appear in the 2019 World Series? Odds
Dodgers vs Red Sox +1700
Dodgers vs Astros +1900
Dodgers vs Yankees +2000
Cubs vs Red Sox +2300
Cubs vs Astros +2500

These odds are good news for anyone who enjoyed last October’s lopsided World Series, in which Boston outscored Los Angeles 28-16 and came close to sweeping the NL West champs.

The five-game series may have lacked competitive balance, but it did produce some memorable moments, including a seven-hour, 18-inning marathon in Game 3, and a breakout performance from journeyman Steve Pearce, who hit .333 with three home runs and eight RBI and earned World MVP honors.

Boston’s Back at Full Strength

It should come as no surprise that the Red Sox are featured in five of the top 10 World Series matchups. Boston won a franchise record 108 games in 2018 and led the Majors in hits, total bases, RBI, batting average, onbase percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. They were equally dominant in the postseason, easily dispatching the 100-win Yankees and 103-win Astros en route to their fourth World Series title since 2004.

All nine of Boston’s starting position players will be back in 2019 and President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski  has already begun to address the team’s free agent concerns by re-signing Pearce and inking right-hander Nathan Eovaldi to a four-year, $68 million contract. The latter deal was especially critical as the Yankees were keen on plucking Nathan away from their AL East rivals.

Dodgers Still Need to Reload

Unlike the Red Sox, the Dodgers could be missing some key contributors in 2019. All-Star infielders Manny Machado and Brain Dozier are both free agents and are likely to sign elsewhere. Ditto for All-Star catcher Yasmani Grandal, and key pitchers Ryan Madson, John Axford, and Erik Goeddel. Disgruntled rightfielder Yasiel Puig has also been the subject of intense trade speculation, and could be dealt before the season begins.

Add it all up and LA could look considerably different (and considerably less formidable) heading into Spring Training.

Should You Wager on a World Series Repeat?

The Red Sox are virtually a lock to return to the World Series, but we’re not entirely sold on the Dodgers, who won the NL West by a single game and barely squeaked by the Brewers in the NLCS.

We’re putting our money instead on Red Sox vs Braves at +2700. Atlanta shocked the world by winning the NL East in 2018 and has an enviable young nucleus led by NL Rookie of the Year Ronald Acuna Jr. Ozzie Albies,  Johan Camargo, and Dansby Swanson, all of whom are 24 or younger. The Baby Braves also added some veteran leadership late in November by signing seven-time All-Star Brian McCann and former AL MVP Josh Donaldson.

Atlanta is far from a perfect team, but they’re trending in the right direction and have fewer question marks than the Dodgers, Nationals, and Cubs, and far better pitching and depth than the Brewers. Bank on ’em!

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