Red Sox Favored to Win Back-to-Back World Series Championships

• Bovada believes Boston will become the first team to win consecutive World Series titles since the 1999 Yankees 
• The defending champs are expected to look largely the same in 2019
• The Astros could give them a run for their money after coming close in 2018

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The Red Sox might want to keep their champagne goggles handy.

Bovada thinks Boston is primed to win its fifth title since 2004, and has chosen the Sox as +650 favorites to hoist the World Series trophy in 2019. Boston’s short odds have them slightly ahead of the Houston Astros, who won their first World Series title in 2017, and the New York Yankees, who have been a thorn in the Sox’s side since 1901.

The last time a team won back-to-back World Series titles was back in 1999, when the Yankees won their second of three straight championships under Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre.

We’ve included Bovada’s odds for all 30 teams below along with our insights into some of the top contenders.

2019 World Series Odds

Team	Odds to Win the 2019 World Series at Bovada (11/08/18)
Boston Red Sox	+650
Houston Astros	+700
New York Yankees	+800
Los Angeles Dodgers	+900
Chicago Cubs	+950
Atlanta Braves	+1200
Cleveland Indians	+1200
Milwaukee Brewers	+1500
Philadelphia Phillies	+1800
St. Louis Cardinals	+1800
Washington Nationals	+2200
Colorado Rockies	+2500
New York Mets	+3000
Oakland Athletics	+3000
Los Angeles Angels	+5000
Tampa Bay Rays	+5000
Arizona Diamondbacks	+6000
Pittsburgh Pirates	+6000
Seattle Mariners	+6000
Chicago White Sox	+6500
Minnesota Twins	+7500
Toronto Blue Jays	+7500
San Francisco Giants	+10000
Cincinnati Reds	+12500
Texas Rangers	+12500
San Diego Padres	+15000
Detroit Tigers	+25000
Kansas City Royals	+25000
Miami Marlins	+25000
Baltimore Orioles	+35000

Can Anyone Beat Boston?

The Red Sox had their best season in franchise history in 2018, but they could be even better next year. All nine position players from Boston’s championship team are still under contract and they should continue to shell opposing pitchers in 2019. Consider this: the Sox led the Majors in runs, hits, total bases, RBI, batting average, onbase percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS last season, and they’ll be adding former MVP Dustin Pedoria to the mix this Spring. The rest of the AL should be very, very afraid.

119 wins.

The @RedSox dominated their way to a title. pic.twitter.com/NDlzC4VzmQ

— MLB (@MLB) October 29, 2018

The rotation, on the other hand, may experience some churn as the Red Sox could lose free agents Nathan Eovaldi to the Yankees and Craig Kimbrel to the Phillies. Both defections would hurt, but Boston has shown a willingness to spend big to remain competitive.

You won’t get a ton of value betting on Boston at +650, but until we know where some of this year’s top free agents will land, it makes little sense to wager on anyone else.

Houston May Have a Problem

No team came closer to overthrowing the Red Sox in 2018 than the Astros, who were widely expected to win their ALCS showdown. Houston won 103 games during the regular season and had a staff with not one, but four aces, headlined by Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Dallas Keuchel, and Charlie Morton. That quartet, along with Lance McCullers Jr, led the Majors in ERA, strikeouts, quality starts, and BAA.

The Astros should still be exceptional again in 2019, but their rotation could look dramatically different. Keuchel and Morton are both free agents, and McCullers Jr. recently underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire season. Hold off on betting big on Houston until their roster has been solidified.

Dodgers Betting Big on Clayton Kershaw

The Dodgers announced their intention to return to the World Series on November 2nd when they re-signed Clayton Kershaw to a three-year, $93 million contract. The three-time Cy Young winner is the unquestioned ace of the staff and is capable of leading the league in wins, ERA, strikeouts and WHIP if he remains healthy. That caveat is an important one since Kersh has averaged just 24.6 starts over the last three seasons and has had to deal with a precipitous drop in velocity.

.@Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw agree to 3-year, $93M deal, reports @Ken_Rosenthal. https://t.co/FnjYcnRgmP pic.twitter.com/CAEawenP8R

— MLB (@MLB) November 2, 2018

Kershaw’s health isn’t the only unknown entering the 2018 season. LA also has to decide what to do with Manny Machado, Brian Dozier, Yasmani Grandal, Hyun-jin Ryu, and Ryan Madson, all of whom are free agents. That’s a lot of question marks and it should make bettors more than a little weary of wagering on LA.

Beware the Brew Crew

You’ll be hard pressed to find a better value than the Brewers at +1500. Milwaukee swept Colorado in the NLDS and actually outscored Los Angeles in their best-of-seven NLCS. They have the league’s presumptive MVP in Christian Yelich, and one of baseball’s most unhittable bullpens thanks to the emergence of Josh Hader and his A+ stuff.

CHRISTIAN YELICH IS UNREAL! #SeptemberBaseball pic.twitter.com/vTnIoYqkcG

— MLB (@MLB) September 30, 2018

Granted, Milwaukee’s starting rotation remains a concern, but don’t be surprised if Craig Counsell continues to mix and match pieces and start some games with relievers, as he during the 2018 postseason.

The post Red Sox Favored to Win Back-to-Back World Series Championships appeared first on My Top Sportsbooks.

Original source: https://www.mytopsportsbooks.com/free-picks/mlb-baseball/2019-world-series-championship-odds/

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