If last year’s result counted most, World Series winners Boston Red Sox would be the solid favorites to win the title again.
But they are not – or at least they were not on March 1 as USA pro baseball headed into spring training.
Two New Jersey sportsbooks, FanDuel and Play SugarHouse, both had the New York Yankee as their futures favorites – and this on two counts. They expect the Yankees to win both the 2019 American League East Division and the World Series.
It’s not by much. Their odds on the Yankees winning the World Series were +600 as against +650 for the Red Sox. However, it will come as a surprise to many punters that the Boston team is not the bookie’s favorite.
The fact that they are not even sole second favorites might also surprise. Both FanDuel and SugarHouse have them tied for second with the Houston Astros.
It was the Red Sox, after all, who won more Major League Baseball games in 2018 than anyone else. It was also Boston that looked unstoppable in the post-season before beating LA Dodgers in the World Series.
Not too much has changed since then. Certainly, they remain a dominant force. You could be forgiven if you expected Boston to win the AL East League for the 4th consecutive year.
Boston’s Red Sox dominated baseball in 2018
Spearheaded by American League MVP Mookie Betts, Boston were totally dominant in the second half of last season. They steam-rollered the Yankees in the AL East Series. They scored most runs in the league and they came out tops in a good few MLB stats.
What then is behind their apparent demotion by the New Jersey bookmakers?
The New York Yankees are certainly not without their strengths his year. Like Boston, they once more have a potent-looking squad. It features all the big bangers who set an MLB record 267 home runs last season. Only the Red Sox made more runs.
Unlike Boston, which has lost relief pitcher Joe Kelly and may also lose closer Craig Kimbrel to free agency, New York’s lineup is intact. In addition, their crack pitching team which has topped the American League for the past two seasons has been strengthened. They’ve been joined by starting pitcher James Paxton and star reliever Adam Ottovino.
If New York is the bookmakers’ flavor of the month there is also the possibility it could have something to do with the bookies making adjustments. Earlier odds made New York a smart bet and might have brought in too much money.
In the early part of the NFL’s 2018/2019 season, reigning champions the Patriots were also downgraded by the Bookies. They come bouncing back to successfully defend their Super Bowl crown earlier this month.
The question now for New Jersey’s punters is this: Can the Boston Red Sox do the same thing in this year’s World Series?
Following were the FanDuel and SugarHouse Top 10 odds for 2019 World Series winner as on March 1.
FanDuel’s odds
New York Yankees +600
Boston Red Sox +650
Houston Astros +650
Los Angeles Dodgers +750
Cleveland Indians +1100
Chicago Cubs +1200
Philadelphia Phillies +1200
Atlanta Braves +1400
Milwaukee Brewers +1400
St Louis Cardinals +1800
Play SugarHouse odds
New York Yankees +600
Boston Red Sox +650
Houston Astros +650
Los Angeles Dodgers +750
Philadelphia Phillies +1000
Chicago Cubs +1200
Atlanta Braves +1600
Cleveland Indians +1600
Milwaukee Brewers +1600
Was Nationals +1600
