We’re now a week away from the World Series and only four teams are standing, the other 26 have already started their winter vacations.
The four teams remaining include both 2017 World Series teams, the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers are also still alive.
Boston still has high expectations off a league leading win total. The Brewers topped the standings in the NL. Despite their respective win totals, the Brewers and Sox are the underdogs at this point in the postseason.
Can the Astros repeat as World Series winners? Can the Dodgers get revenge? Those are the most likely outcomes, but the Sox or Brewers are still in it. Can either beat the odds and end up on top?
The field still competing for the World Series this year has narrowed considerable with only four teams left standing. If you’re looking to get some MLB futures action before the playoffs end, look no further than BookMaker.eu.
2018 MLB World Series Betting Odds at BookMaker:
Houston Astros +140
Los Angeles Dodgers +280
Boston Red Sox +400
Milwaukee Brewers +400
ODDS ANALYSIS
Of the four teams remaining, the Astros are the heavy favorites. Their odds are double that of the Dodgers which are the favorites in the NL.
Based on the odds, we should expect a repeat of the 2017 World Series, featuring the Astros and Dodgers with Houston winning, again.
While the Astros are the deepest team, that doesn’t always guarantee a World Series trophy. It’s more about which team is hottest than which one won more games. That point becomes even more evident when you consider both the Brewers and Red Sox have equal odds at +400.
Milwaukee counts as the hottest team. They lost Game 2 of the NLCS against the Dodgers as L.A. pulled the series even at a game apiece. Prior to that, however, the Brew Crew had won 12 games in a row. The bullpen was as good as its been all year and the starting pitching was doing enough to support that pen.
As for the Red Sox, Boston won 108 regular season games, five more than any other team. While they cruised to an AL East title and home field advantage, they haven’t been convincingly great in the playoffs. Chris Sale’s velocity was down in his last start. David Price has never been a good October pitcher. The rest of the rotation leaves plenty to be desire and the bullpen doesn’t inspire much more confidence.
At the end of the day, you have four teams with very strong offenses. Two of those teams—the Astros and Brewers—also have elite bullpens. Houston and Los Angeles also both have deep starting rotations. Houston is the only one with the full package.
QUICK PICK
The Yankees were the last team to win back-to-back World Series titles way back in 2000. This, however, could very well be the year we see another back-to-back champion.
The Astros are the best team left in the hunt. They didn’t win as many games as the Red Sox in the regular season, but they’re in a much better position now. They won Game 1, beating Chris Sale who showed lower than normal velocity and is not far removed from an injury.
He’s the Sox’s ace and if he’s not at full strength that’s a huge issue. The Astros have the better rotation and better bullpen. The offense is good enough, too.
Houston has it all. The Sox have issues in the rotation and bullpen. The Dodgers’ bullpen is a bit of a question. Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, the starting pitching leaves plenty to be desired. The Astros are the most complete team and even though they don’t pay off much in terms of odds, they’re certainly the most likely winner and the safest bet.
There is no longer a good longshot choice. With four teams remaining, the odds have narrowed considerably. That said, on the NL side, the Brewers are the underdogs and although they lost Game 2 to the Dodgers, they are still a good choice. After all, an NL team will be in the World Series and you must make it to win it.
While L.A. is favored in the NL, particularly with the series shifting back to the west coast with a series split, Milwaukee may be the better bet. The Brewers do have to prove they can get back in the win column following their most recent loss, but they need just three more wins to advance to the Fall Classic and have a superior bullpen to the Dodgers and an offense that can at least match up.
With the Brewers odds at +400, they’ll pay off better than the Dodgers and have just as much chance to get there.
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