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Oddsmakers Fading Struggling Red Sox in 2019 AL Pennant Odds

Ben Abel

by Ben Abel in MLB Baseball

Updated Jan 5, 2023 · 8:03 AM PST

Mookie Betts Boston Red Sox
Mookie Betts and the Boston Red Sox are slipping at the odds table to win the AL. Photo by Keith Allison (flickr) [CC License].
  • The Red Sox are 1-3 vs the Rays and 1-2 vs the Yankees in series play this season
  • Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale is just 2-7 with a 3.52 ERA
  • Boston is currently 7.5 games back in the AL East with a 35-34 record

The 2018 Boston Red Sox were a dream team. They won it all and looked like a team that would repeat with virtually the entire roster returning and nothing to stop them in 2019.

The reality this year is very different for the Red Sox, as they sit a game above .500 at 35-34 and are third in the AL East. The Yankees, despite all their injuries, look to be the team to beat, with the Tampa Bay Rays only .5 game back of them in the East. Boston, meanwhile, is 7.5 games back.

Let’s take a look at the latest AL Pennant odds to see where all 15 teams stand.

2019 American League Pennant Odds

Team Odds
Houston Astros +200
New York Yankees +300
Minnesota Twins +400
Tampa Bay Rays +600
Boston Red Sox +1000
Cleveland Indians +2000
Oakland Athletics +2500
Texas Rangers +2500
Chicago White Sox +5000
Los Angeles Angels +5000
Seattle Mariners +12500
Detroit Tigers +25000
Toronto Blue Jays +25000
Baltimore Orioles +50000
Kansas City Royals +50000

*Odds taken 06/14/19

Boston started the season slow and without closer Craig Kimbrel. Kimbrel was a high profile free agent who last week landed in Chicago. Chris Sale had a rough start too, and while Boston turned things around at the end of April they appear to be in trouble again.

They can beat teams like the Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals, but against AL East rivals like the Rays and Yankees they are 1-3 and 1-2 respectively. Not good.

What’s Happened to the Red Sox?

Chris Sale is 2-7 with a 3.52 ERA. Not Sale-like numbers considering he whiffed over 300 batters in 2017 and had a 2.11 ERA last season.

JD Martinez has been in and out of the lineup this season missing two games in April and four in May. He has a .300 batting average with 12 HR and 34 RBI’s. Last season he was a monster, hitting 43 homers to go along with 130 RBIs and a .330 average. He played 150 games in 2018 and has been in 59 of the Red Sox 69 games this season, so we’ll see if he can approach those lofty numbers again.

Mookie Betts Playing Well, But Not Putting Up MVP Numbers

Mookie Betts, like the Red Sox, had a dream season in 2018, hitting .346 with 32 home runs and 80 RBIs.

Betts also won a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger Award, and led Major League Baseball with a WAR of 10.9 while leading the Red Sox to the 2018 World Series title. Wow.


This season Betts has appeared in 68 games but has fallen back to earth a bit with a .263 batting average to go with 11 homers and 31 RBIs. He has only six stolen bases to go with 52 runs. He still has time to improve on those somewhat pedestrian numbers, but he will have to pickup the pace.

Michael Chavis has been cold in June, going .182 in his last 16 games and striking out 28 times in 61 plate appearances.

With Boston struggling at 7-13 to start the year Michael Chavis helped boost this team with a hot start of six homers in his first 14 games, hitting .354 along with 13 RBI. However, he has been cold in June, going .182 in his last 16 games and striking out 28 times in 61 plate appearances.

The Best Bet

While the players are there and they have proven they can win, the Red Sox for whatever reason don’t look like the team they were in 2018. The Houston Astros continue to play well and dominate the American League with the Yankees close behind. Pick Houston to win the AL Pennant this year.

Pick Houston Astros (+200)

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