Red Sox’ World Series Odds Improve to +700 After Beating Yankees in Wild Card Game
- Boston’s odds to win the World Series improved to +700 after winning Tuesday night’s AL wild card game
- The Red Sox meet the Rays in the ALDS beginning Thursday
- The Red Sox’ championship odds and those for the other remaining teams can be found below with analysis
The Boston Red Sox are moving on to the American League Division Series after winning the AL wild card game on Tuesday night.
The Red Sox beat the visiting New York Yankees 6-2 at Fenway Park. Boston will face the Tampa Bay Rays in an ALDS with Game 1 of the best-of-five series set for Thursday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Following the win, the Red Sox’ odds to win the World Series improved dramatically from +1400 to +700.
2021 World Series Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +390 |
| Houston Astros | +450 |
| Boston Red Sox | +700 |
| San Francisco Giants | +700 |
| Chicago White Sox | +700 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +750 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +750 |
| Atlanta Braves | +1100 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +2200 |
Odds as of October 6th at DraftKings.
Homers Lift Red Sox
Xander Bogaerts and Kyle Schwarber hit early home runs off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole as the Red Sox built a 3-0 lead by the third inning Tuesday night then cruised to victory.
Bogaerts belted a two-run blast to straightaway center field in the first inning. Schwarber then connected leading off the third to chase Cole.
XANDER SETS THE TONE. pic.twitter.com/ObS9mP8Qr2
— Red Sox (@RedSox) October 6, 2021
Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi took a shutout into the sixth inning. He wound up allowing one run and four hits in 5.1 innings while striking out eight and not issuing any walks.
Alex Verdugo had two hits, including a double, and drove in three runs for the Red Sox. Bogaerts reached base in all four plate appearances as he went 2 for 2 with two walks.
Martinez’s Status Unclear
The only drawback for the Red Sox on Tuesday night is they played without designated hitter J.D. Martinez.
Martinez sprained his left ankle Sunday when the Red Sox beat the Nationals in Washington in the regular season finale to clinch a postseason berth. Forced to play right field because the DH rule does not apply in games played in National League parks, Martinez was injured when he slipped on second base while taking his position prior to the fifth inning.
Video shows the bizarre, between-inning injury that cost J.D. Martinez a spot on the AL Wild Card roster 😬https://t.co/c8tqKT5jsa
— For The Win (@ForTheWin) October 5, 2021
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that Martinez’s status for Thursday was unclear. The four-time All-Star will be examined by the medical staff Wednesday.
Martinez is a key cog to the Red Sox’s offense as he hit .286/.349/.518 with 28 home runs in 148 games during the regular season. Schwarber took his spot in the lineup Tuesday.
Familiar Foe
The Red Sox are very familiar with the Rays as the AL East rivals met 19 times during the regular season. The Rays went 11-8, including 7-3 at The Trop where Games 1 and 2 will be played as well as a winner-take-all Game 5 if necessary.
The Rays have won the season series each of the last three seasons, going 30-18 since 2019.
Rays catcher Mike Zunino (six) and second baseman Brandon Lowe (five) combined for 11 home runs against the Red Sox during the regular season this year. Zunino went 11 for 39 (.282) with two doubles and a triple while Lowe was 16 for 55 (.291) with three doubles and 16 walks.
Mike Zunino – Tampa Bay Rays (33) https://t.co/WEPK2sa9xs
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) October 2, 2021
Bogaerts feasted on Rays pitching, hitting .429 (21 for 49) with two doubles and two home runs. Right fielder Hunter Renfro was 25 for 74 (.338) with 11 doubles and four homers.
Looking ahead to potential American League Championship Series opponents should the Red Sox get past the Rays, Boston was 3-4 against the Chicago White Sox in the regular season and 2-5 versus the Houston Astros.
Do Red Sox Have Value?
The Red Sox don’t have the feel of a championship team. They are short on starting pitching options and the bullpen doesn’t inspire confidence.
Boston’s 4.26 ERA in the regular season matched the major league average.
With the odds dropping to +700, there is no value in betting the Red Sox.
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
