Astros, Red Sox Top 2018 World Series Odds
With the MLB season at the unofficial midpoint, who’s the favorite to win the World Series? Two teams share the honor right now: the reigning World Series champion Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox.
On the latest World Series futures odds at Bovada Sportsbook, the Astros and Red Sox are co-favorites at +450.
The Astros entered the all-star break in first place in the AL West. They got there behind a Cy Young-worthy first half from Justin Verlander, stellar pitching from Gerrit Cole and Charlie Morton, and continued heavy hitting from their core stars, Jose Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman. The only major concern for Houston right now could be the bullpen after closer Ken Giles was so bad he was sent to Triple-A to figure things out.
The Red Sox have the best record in baseball. Boston hit the fewest homers in the AL last season but the addition of J.D. Martinez and an MVP-type first half from Mookie Betts has the team second in the majors in round-trippers at the break. Boston may be in the market for more pitching with the depth beyond Chris Sale, David Price and Rick Porcello looking thin due to injury.
Following the Astros and Red Sox on the World Series futures at Bovada Sportsbook are the New York Yankees at +500, the Chicago Cubs at +650 and the Los Angeles Dodgers at +800.
Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers close behind in odds
The Yankees’ modern-day murderers’ row of Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and rookie Gleyber Torres have anointed New York as the most powerful lineup in baseball. Outside of ace Luis Severino, the Yankees don’t have much reliable starting pitching. Could this hurt them in a short playoff series if they don’t bring in some better arms via trade?
The Cubs have had a bumpy ride through most of the season, but they’ve smoothed things out enough recently to take over first place in the NL Central. One key thing to remember about the Cubs is that they’ve done that without getting much at all from offseason acquisition Yu Darvish. If he can return healthy and effective in the second half, watch out for the Cubs.
The Dodgers survived a plague of injuries throughout the first half to get back to the top of the NL West. Clayton Kershaw still doesn’t look like himself but a huge rebound season from Matt Kemp and the emergence of Max Muncy from nowhere has helped keep the Dodgers afloat.
Youthful Braves, Phillies offer value
If you’re looking for value right now, your best bets could be the Atlanta Braves at +1200 and the Philadelphia Phillies at +1400. Both are currently in playoff positions and have arrived ahead of schedule as their young talent begins to blossom. The Braves and Phillies may not be the next version of the Astros yet, but they could be soon.