Red Sox World Series Favorites Again After Taking 2-1 Series Lead Over Astros
- The Red Sox are favored to win their fourth World Series title since 2004 after taking a 2-1 lead over the Astros in the ALCS
- Can Houston turn the tables with a decisive win in Game 4 of the ALCS?
- Are the Brewers worth a bet at +380?
It’s amazing what a two-game winning streak can do for a team’s fortunes.
Boston’s average odds to win the 2018 World Series have improved from +240 on October 10th to +170 on October 17th. The Red Sox are now available as short as +170 and as long as +175.
2018 World Series Average Odds
Boston’s short odds are the result of back-to-back wins against the defending champion Houston Astros in Games 2 and 3 of the American League Championship Series. The Red Sox defeated the Astros 7-5 on Sunday evening thanks to timely hitting from Jackie Bradley Jr., who clobbered a go-ahead, three-run double off the Green Monster in the bottom of the third.
Jackie Bradley Jr. with a bases clearing double pic.twitter.com/SirCpBRdY5
— Baseball Bros (@BaseballBros) October 15, 2018
Boston downed Houston again on Tuesday evening, riding a strong start from Nathan Eovaldi and a pair of homers from Bradley Jr. and Steve Pearce to an 8-2 victory. The Astros’ normally reliable bullpen coughed up six earned runs, five of which were tagged to closer Roberto Osuna.
Strange But True Alert:
Jackie Bradley Jr. during the season: 0 XBH with the bases loaded.
Jackie Bradley Jr. in Games 2 & 3: A double & now a HR with the bases loaded!
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) October 17, 2018
Houston hopes to stop the bleeding on Wednesday night when they send Charlie Morton to the mound. The veteran right-hander won a career-high 15 games in 2018 but has yet to appear in the 2018 playoffs after battling shoulder discomfort late in the season. Morton lasted just three innings in his last outing on September 30th, and will need to dig deep into his bag of tricks to keep opposing hitters off balance.
Boston will counter with Rick Porcello, who pitched a scoreless inning in relief in Game 2 of the ALCS. The former Cy Young winner is undefeated against Houston this year and has given up just five hits over his last 6.2 innings during the 2018 postseason.
2018 World Series Odds
| Team | Odds on 10/17/18 |
|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | +175 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +275 |
| Houston Astros | +300 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +400 |
The Red Sox aren’t the only team whose World Series odds improved. The Dodgers average odds have also shortened from +310 to +280, and the Brewers have gone from +410 to +380. The NLCS is currently knotted up at two games apiece after LA eked out a gritty 2-1 win on Tuesday evening.
WALK IT OFF DODGERS!
Cody Bellinger drives in Manny Machado in the 13th inning as the Dodgers tie the NLCS 2-2. pic.twitter.com/bAICtRIIen
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 17, 2018
The epic 13-inning game took over five hours to unfold and was decided by a two-out, seeing-eye single from Cody Bellinger. The 2017 NL Rookie of the Year is batting just .120 in October and had been mired in a deep funk until his game-winning hit against Brewers reliever Junior Guerra.
Game 5 of the NLCS is this afternoon in Los Angeles. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. ET.
Ryan worked as an Editor and resident Lead NBA and MLB Writer for SB from 2017-19. He has authored his own weekly columns for Fox Sports and AskMen, and has created successful campaigns for the WWE, the NHL, and the NFL. Ryan's critically acclaimed stories have been published in 20 books.
