Best bets for possible 2019 World Series matchups
As if it wasn't difficult enough to pick a World Series winner in March, some shops are dangling a futures bet that calls for predicting the World Series matchup.
This year's field is loaded with roughly 10 legitimate contenders equipped for October baseball. If we can properly piece two together, we're looking at a lucrative payout.
Here are our best bets:
Nationals vs. Astros (30-1)
The Washington Nationals let Bryce Harper walk and are still equipped for 88-89 wins in the most stacked division in baseball. This is a really good team.
The franchise added another stud to the rotation during free agency with Patrick Corbin to spearhead a two-headed monster alongside Max Scherzer. Any Nationals fan should be confident with that type of front-line pitching when it matters.
Given the amount of contenders in the National League, postseason bids aren't gimmes for anyone. What makes the Nationals so attractive is their ceiling.
Can Brian Dozier bounce back in a hitter's park and provide a potent power bat in the middle of the lineup? Which version of Stephen Strasburg shows up? Is 20-year-old Juan Soto ready to respond to pitching adjustments in his second full season?
The Nationals are dripping with upside if it all comes together.
Now onto the Astros, who we wrote about last week as one of our favorite World Series picks. They have a clear path to the postseason, projected for 11 more wins than that of the next-best AL West team. Given the strength of both the rotation and the lineup, coupled with all the postseason experience, they're ripe for a deep run in 2019.
Cardinals vs. Astros (29-1)
Let's stick with the Astros and rotate to the St. Louis Cardinals as our NL pick.
An 88-win team from a year ago shored up the lineup over the winter by landing Paul Goldschmidt in a trade. Marcell Ozuna is a great rebound candidate after a somewhat underwhelming season in his first with the Cardinals. Overall, this team is built well, with a ton of depth in case of emergencies.
The NL Central is no joke; rearrange the five teams in any order by October and you'd be surprised by any result. But should the Cardinals clinch a postseason birth, they have the roster to contend.
Nationals vs. Yankees (29-1)
The Nationals get another spot on this list, in a matchup against a team that should cruise to a playoff berth.
The New York Yankees have a realistic shot at back-to-back seasons with 100-plus wins. After hitting the century mark on the dot in 2018, the Yankees went out and added a handful of players in their quest to unseat the Boston Red Sox atop the division. They deserve to be the favorites in the AL East with a roster containing very few holes.
Phillies vs. Red Sox (21-1)
The Philadelphia Phillies had already pulled off one of the league's most impressive hauls this winter, acquiring Andrew McCutchen in free agency and J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura in separate trades. Projected as an 86-win team with those pieces, the Phillies then landed one of the crown jewels of the free-agent class in Harper, which drastically shortened their World Series odds and bumped the win total to 89.5. Aaron Nola has Cy Young-type stuff and the Phillies could slug their way to an NL pennant with one of the most lethal lineups in the majors.
We have them facing the Red Sox, who some are predicting for a hangover following a historic 2018 season. Boston didn't make much noise in free agency, but has the same core that won the World Series and ripped off 108 wins during the regular season.
This one would be fun, wouldn't it?
Dodgers vs. Indians (30-1)
Ah, some fresh blood.
The Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers should slice through their respective divisions like knives through hot butter.
The Tribe will go as far as the rotation takes them. It doesn't get any easier for opposing hitters after the trio of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, and Trevor Bauer, either - Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber round out arguably the deepest rotation in baseball. What the Indians lack in overall depth in the lineup, they make up for with Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor.
The Dodgers are eyeing their third straight trip to the World Series, previously losing to the Astros and Red Sox respectively. The playoff field on that side will be a slaughterhouse, but the 'books give the Dodgers the shortest odds of any team in the National League to win it all, just ahead of the Phillies.
Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.