The 2017 MLB season is just around the corner, and baseball fans are eager to see their favorite teams back in action in hopes of winning the World Series this year. Unfortunately since only one team can win the championship, there will be a lot of disappointed fans at the end of the season.
Last season, the Chicago Cubs ended a century old championship drought, will they be able to pull off another miraculous season and win consecutive titles for the first time 1907 and 1908?
2017 World Series Odds
According to BetOnline these are the teams with the best odds of winning the World Series this season. You can check out the full odds by visiting BetOnline.ag and selecting ‘MLB Futures’ from the ‘Futures & Props’ drop down menu.
- Chicago Cubs: +425
- Boston Red Sox: +500
- Cleveland Indians: +600
- Houston Astros: +900
- Los Angeles Dodgers: +900
- New York Mets: +1200
- Washington Nationals: +1200
- San Francisco Giants: +1200
- Texas Rangers: +2200
- Seattle Mariners: +2200
For the second year in a row, the Cubs have the best odds of winning the championship, which isn’t a position a lot of Cubs fans are used to being in. However, the team is returning most of the players that helped them win the championship, with the exception of Aroldis Chapman and Dexter Fowler.
My Picks
If recent years have taught us anything, it is difficult to predict the team that will win the World Series because there always seems to be a team no one saw coming contending for the championship.
As the defending champs, the Cubs deserve to have the best odds, especially since they have depth at almost all positions and have a great pitching rotation. The loss of Chapman might cost them a few close games, but they should be back in the hunt for the title when the playoffs start.
After ending the curse, the Cubs won’t have as much pressure on them like they did last season, which should make their jobs easier this year.
Despite getting swept by the Cleveland Indians in the playoffs last year, the Red Sox are coming in with the second best odds of winning the World Series and the best odds of winning the American League. However, the retirement of David Ortiz, who was their best hitter last year, leaves a void in the team’s batting lineup.
Regardless of the void left by Ortiz, the Red Sox have a great pitching rotation led by David Price and Rick Porcello, and will be a dangerous team this year.
The Cleveland Indians have the third best odds to win the World Series, but to me, provide the best bet. The Indians went into the playoffs banged up and were missing some key players. They were not only able to make it to the World Series, they had a 3-1 lead over the Cubs and could have won it all. If the team is healthy this year, I believe they too will be able to end their championship drought.
In the National League, the Washington Nationals were a disappointment last season. Despite their failures, the Nationals still had one of the best pitching rotations in the NL and one of the best players in Bryce Harper. At +1200, they are a smart pick to win the World Series.
Top Play: Cleveland Indians +600
Value Play: Washington Nationals +1200
In the MLB anything can happen in the playoffs. The season is a long 162 games and the real test is winning your division to give yourself a shot at the World Series come playoff time.
Tagged With : 2017 World Series • MLB betting • World Series betting