Getty Alex Bregman and the Astros are favored to return to the World Series.
At the halfway point in the MLB season, it’s not too late to place futures wagers on the World Series winner. The odds have predictably changed since the start of the season, but some consistencies remain. The Houston Astros remain the odds favorite to remain champions come October, as Vegas projects the squad to become the first team since 2000 to win back-to-back titles.
World Series Odds
The Astros are the World Series favorite at betting sites monitored by OddsShark.com, valued at +400 after opening the season at +650. The secret to Houston has been dominant starting pitching, as Houston sports a league-best team ERA of just 2.94. The next closest team, the Yankees, come in at 3.48.
Despite their pitching strength, the Yankees are a playoff contender because of their loud bats. The Bronx Bombers earned their nickname in the first half of the season, crushing a league-best 164 dongs. That’s 27 more than the next closest team in Boston. But the Yankees have been homer-dependent, as the Sox have both more runs and more RBI than their AL East rival. The Red Sox, bolstered by ace Chris Sale and power hitting of Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez, are slightly ahead of the Yanks in terms of odds at +485.
Here are the full MLB odds heading into the second half of the season:
Arizona +2000
Atlanta +2150
Baltimore +900000
Boston +485
Chicago Cubs +950
Chicago White Sox +500000
Cincinnati +250000
Cleveland +1500
Colorado +8500
Detroit +50000
Houston +410
Kansas City +500000
LA Angels +30000
LA Dodgers +950
Miami +200000
Milwaukee +2150
Minnesota +50000
NY Mets +250000
NY Yankees +535
Oakland +8000
Philadelphia +1625
Pittsburgh +50000
San Diego +300000
San Francisco +4000
Seattle +2500
St. Louis +5000
Tampa Bay +70000
Texas +500000
Toronto +250000
Washington +2250
World Series Prediction
As this year plays out, the AL is reminding me more and more of the Western Conference in the NBA. There will be a situation where either the Yankees or Red Sox, two of the best four teams in baseball without question, will be forced to play a one-game playoff for their season.
Three teams in the AL have over 60 wins. The Cubs lead the NL standings with 55.
With all the hype surrounding the champions and the AL East, there doesn’t seem to be any love left over for the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland was reverse-swept in the playoffs by the Yankees last season, and they’ve responded with a 7.5 game lead over the AL Central at the break. They also sent six players to the All-Star Game, and should be getting reliever Andrew Miller back into the roster in the next few weeks.
Nobody in the AL wants to see anybody else. It’s a gauntlet.
In the NL, the Dodgers seem like the easy favorite to reach a second consecutive Fall Classic. They’ve had their struggles this year, surviving a Clayton Kershaw DL stint and a season-ending injury to Corey Seager. But they still have a powerful lineup, and it could include All-Star shortstop Manny Machado when games resume later this week.
If I had to make wagers today, I’d take the Astros, Red Sox and Indians to reach the series. The Dodgers have just had stretches of terrible baseball, and the champion will come from the AL anyway. As they say in the old ballsport, I’m just trying to cover my bases here. They say that, right?
Best Bet: 1u each on Astros, Red Sox, Indians