MLB 2019 Opening Day: World Series Odds for All 30 Teams

By Dan Cancian On 3/28/19 at 6:10 AM EDT

MLB Opening Day is traditionally a time where certainties are few and far between, as teams take their first tentative steps into the new season. This year is no different, but a modicum of certainty can be found in the knowledge that the race for the World Series should be a close affair.

Or so bookmakers seem to believe.

Data compiled by Bovada shows the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Houston Astros all begin the season with odds of 6/1 (+600 in moneyline terms) to triumph in the 2019 World Series.

The Red Sox opened at 7/1 shortly after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers to claim the title in October and moved to 6/1 in the first week of pre-season.

Boston won 108 games last season and has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the new campaign. In J.D. Martinez, Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi the Red Sox boast some of the biggest stars in the MLB and their starting rotation is arguably second-to-none in the majors.

However, they have lost Craig Kimbrel in the offseason and winning back-to-back World Series is traditionally difficult. Nobody has managed the feat since the Yankees won three in a row between 1998 and 2000. The Red Sox last won consecutive world titles in 1915 and 1916.

The Astros, the team that lost against Boston in the American League Championship Series, also opened at 7/1 before moving down to 6/1, while the Yankees opened at 8/1 before shifting down to their current odds.

Houston has been tipped by both ESPN and Sports Illustrated to claim a second title in three years, largely thanks to a stellar infield featuring Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa.

The Yankees, meanwhile, might not have embarked in the free agent spending spree some expected, but still added James Paxton and Adam Ottavino to their roster. In Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, the Yankees have an abundance of talent, but need Luis Severino to recover from a shoulder issue that will prevent him from pitching on Opening Day.

Behind the trio of Boston, Houston and New York, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the next favorites with odds of 7/1.

The Dodgers have reached the World Series in each of the last two seasons but ended up on the losing side in both occasions and will be desperate to go one better this time out.

Having opened at 20/1, big-spenders Philadelphia Phillies are fifth-favorite at 17/2 after singing Bryce Harper, while the Chicago Cubs and the St Louis Cardinals follow at 11/1 and 12/1, respectively.

The San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Angels splashed money on Manny Machado and Mike Trout but remain long shots at 40/1 and 50/1 respectively.