Boston Red Sox Win Ninth World Series Title, Fourth in 15 Seasons

Posted on: October 29, 2018, 01:30h. 

Last updated on: October 29, 2018, 01:43h.

Lucas Thomas Read More
Expertise: Sports Betting, Sports.

The Boston Red Sox capped off a wire-to-wire season as baseball’s best team, winning the franchise’s ninth World Series Sunday night and its fourth in 15 years.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale struck out Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado to clinch the ninth World Series championship in the franchise’s history. The Red Sox have now won the World Series four times since breaking an 86-year drought in 2004. (Photo: Associated Press)

The Red Sox cashed in on 10/1 odds to win the World Series before the season started, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 in the best of seven series.

Boston also destroyed the Westgate Las Vegas Sportsbook’s 2018 win total of 92.5 games – their 108 regular season wins this season were the most in Major League Baseball and the most in franchise history.

The BoSox started their postseason run against the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series (ALDS) and quickly beat their arch rival 3-1. In the American League Championship Series (ALCS) the Red Sox did the same to the defending champion Houston Astros, winning the AL pennant with a 4-1 series victory.

Boston entered the World Series as favorites, albeit not overwhelming ones (-140) for a 108-win team, according to Westgate. In hindsight, that was an easy bet. After winning the first two games of the series in Boston, that line moved to -650.

The Red Sox beat the Dodgers 4-1 in the World Series, finishing the postseason with an 11-3 record and a combined 119-57 during the regular and postseason.

Bettors who backed the Red Sox to win the championship against the Dodgers in five games cashed in on a +600 ticket at Sportsbook.ag.  Those who predicted the series would at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles cashed on +160 odds.

The Hero Boston Needed

Steve Pearce was this year’s World Series Most Valuable Player. The 35-year old first baseman was a trade deadline acquisition by the Red Sox, who sent a minor league player to the Toronto Blue Jays for Pearce. He played 50 regular season games with the Red Sox, but saved his magnum opus for when it was needed most.

Entering the Fall Classic, Pearce was among the unlikeliest of MVP candidates, with 30/1 odds before the series started, according to Sportsbook.ag. Three of his four hits during the World Series were home runs – the other was a double. He finished with eight RBI and capped off the series with two home runs in Game 5.

“This is the greatest feeling of my life,” he said after the game. “When you’re a kid this I where you want to be and it’s happening now and I get to celebrate with my family and friends back there.”

It’s Never Too Early…

Initial forecasts for the 2019 season peg baseball’s last two champions as most likely to hoist the trophy next October.

The Red Sox and 2017 World Series Champion Astros are both listed by Sportsbook.ag as favorites 7/1 to win the 2019 World Series. The other two teams Boston beat enroute to the title – the Yankees and Dodgers – are next with 8/1 odds. After that, the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians are at 12/1, as of Monday.