Astros Stand Alone as World Series Betting Favorites

The Houston Astros are the betting favorite to win the 2019 Fall Classic.

WIth an unbelievable run over the last couple of weeks where the ’Stros have been dominating the opposition, they’ve pulled into sole possession of first place on the oddsboard. 

The usual suspects remain front-running contenders with the Dodgers at +375 and the Yankees at +500. 

Can Boston Repeat?

There’s no reason to believe that the Red Sox won’t make a real run at defending their World Series championship in 2019 despite their slow start. The Sox boast one of the best starting rotations in baseball and have a really nice mix of veterans and young studs.

Their pitching staff has shaken off the rocky start and Chris Sale recently answered any questions about his season with a 17-strikeout performance, setting a new career high in an already storied career.  

Boston had fallen off the pace in terms of betting odds but is creeping back up and now sits at +1200.

Good Time to Get in on St. Louis? 

The St. Louis Cardinals are a couple of reliable arms away from being a very, very serious World Series contender. 

Despite that, a recent skid of mediocrity has seen them slip to +2800. I absolutely love this price on a team that I see making some waves in September and October and will be locking it in as soon as I hit “save” on this article.

Padres Making Moves in the West

The San Diego Padres were a guaranteed win on last year’s schedule and thus opened at +12500 to win the 2019 World Series. 

Since then, they’ve retooled their roster and brought in some veterans to insulate some young talent. They moved all the way up to +2200 a couple of weeks ago, fell back to +4500 last week and show up at +2800 this week.  

You can find the full odds list for the 2019 World Series champion below:

Odds as of May 28 at Bovada

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The Boston Red Sox made quick work (Game 3 notwithstanding) of the LA Dodgers to win the 2018 World Series in five games. As soon as the final out was recorded, odds for the 2019 World Series were released by sportsbooks. The Red Sox and the Houston Astros are co-favorites to be the last team standing next October at +700.

Yankees, Dodgers Right Behind

The other two teams that the Red Sox dispatched en route to the Commissioner’s Trophy are just behind the two front-runners at +800. The Dodgers have a lot of questions to answer after a World Series performance that was at a minimum questionable in terms of decision-making and downright maddening if you’re a Dodgers fan.

The Yankees showed some great promise once they got healthy in 2018. One of the most potent lineups in baseball is only going to get stronger through free agency this offseason. The emergence of youngsters Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar plus the superstars like Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge will have New York right in the mix all season.

Injuries have already struck next year’s Yankees, though, as Didi Gregorius has undergone Tommy John surgery. While the rehab won’t take as long as it does for a pitcher, don’t look for Didi to be in the lineup any time before the all-star break if he returns at all.

Any Long Shots Worth Considering?

At first glance, the Tampa Bay Rays at +5000 and the Oakland A’s at +3500 jump out to me as teams that have the foundation to make a run from a severe underdog position in 2019.

Blake Snell is likely going to be a Cy Young winner for the Rays. They say you need to be strong up the middle to have success in baseball and the Rays are as good as anyone up the middle, especially with perennial Gold Glover Kevin Kiermaier in center field. Joey Wendle and Willy Adames were two of the top four hitters on the team after the all-star break.

The addition of Tommy Pham in the outfield with Mallex Smith and Kiermaier helps Tampa round out an impressive lineup. Kevin Cash’s ability to manage the bullpen and his new approach to getting outs are starting to become a trend in the league and led to success as Tampa was one of the best teams in baseball in the second half.

Oakland made it to the wild-card game in 2018 and has a heck of a team out in Alameda County. Khris Davis hit 48 home runs and drove in 123 runs and was insulated by Matt Chapman, Stephen Piscotty, Matt Olsen and Jed Lowrie. Fans also fell in love with center-fielder Ramon Laureano, who looks to be a very promising young player.

You can find the full odds list for the 2019 World Series champion below:

Odds as of October 28 at Bovada