Strong pitching wins out in October, which explains why the Chicago Cubs have maintained the top odds to win the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers moving up to the lead pack.
The Cubs have had top odds all season long while running roughshod over the National League, and their betting line is now down to just +250 at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Chicago is closing in on clinching the best overall record in the NL, which will bring the prospect of RHP Jake Arrieta, LHP Jon Lester and RHP Kyle Hendricks dealing on some cool nights at Wrigley Field.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have shrugged off the two-month absence of ace Clayton Kershaw to get into playoff contention. The Dodgers’ prop is now down to +900, less than half that of their +2000 odds at the all-star break shortly after Kershaw went on the disabled list. Kershaw, who returned to action September 9, has a few weeks to get ready for the postseason.
The Texas Rangers, with ace Cole Hamels, are now at a season-best +600 as they close in on the best AL record. The Washington Nationals, with RHP Stephen Strasburg now shut down, are also at +600. Their odds were a season-best +550 at the outset of September.
The Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians, who could be on a collision course for an ALDS matchup, have each had their odds come down to +800. Boston opened the season at +1400 and was +900 on September 1.
The Red Sox’s offensive capabilities with the likes of RF Mookie Betts and DH David Ortiz is well-known, but since August 1 RHP Clay Buchholz and LHP David Price have also performed closer to career norms than they they did for the season’s first four months.
Cleveland’s prop has been as low as +750 this season. The Indians are below .500 against every American League playoff contender except the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays are listed at +1000, up from +750 on September 1, after a recent team-wide funk.
Winning the World Series as a wild card, of course, is contingent on winning a one-game series. Betting on the San Francisco Giants (+1800), Baltimore Orioles (+2500), Detroit Tigers (+2800), or New York Mets (+2800) to win it all would be little more than a hunch play, although it would pay big.
