Odds have Red Sox favored over Dodgers in World Series

After 2,432 regular season games and 28 postseason games, the World Series is just days away. The Boston Red Sox will play the Los Angeles Dodgers, and even though the Red Sox are the more successful team on paper, oddsmakers in Las Vegas think the series is going to be pretty tight.

Via the Associated Press, here’s what oddsmakers at one Las Vegas sportsbook have to say about the series.

Oddsmakers at the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook set the Red Sox as minus-135 favorites in early betting, with the Dodgers made plus-115 to win the series. That means a $135 bet on the Red Sox will pay $100, while a $100 bet on the Dodgers pays $115.

The Red Sox are favored to win the series, but it’s close — a lot closer than you might think

The Red Sox won a franchise-record 108 games in the regular season. They dispatched the New York Yankees in just four games in the American League Division Series, and took care of the Houston Astros in five games in the American League Championship Series. They’ve received offensive help from the bottom of their lineup in critical times (like Jackie Bradley Jr.’s home runs in Games 3 and 4 of the ALCS), and seen young stars break out (like Rafael Devers’ decisive three-run home run in Game 5 of the ALCS).

The Dodgers had a much more difficult road to the World Series than the Red Sox. They didn’t coast into the playoffs — in fact, just a few months into the season, some had already written off the struggling Dodgers. In early May, the Dodgers were 9 games out of first place, flirting with last place in the National League West, and were 10 games under .500. They fought their way back, but the NL West was so tight at the end of the season that the Dodgers and Colorado Rockies had to play Game 163 to break the tie at the top of the division.

The Dodgers have battled throughout the postseason, and just won the first winner-take-all game of the playoffs in the National League Championship Series. The Red Sox, on the other hand, finished off the Astros on October 18, and have five days to rest up before the World Series begins on October 23. There will be more odds released once both teams announce their starters, but these early odds should have fans of both teams breathing easy — the Red Sox are favored, but the Dodgers aren’t far behind.

The Boston Red Sox pose for a picture after winning the baseball American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018, in Houston. Red Sox won 4-1. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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