Red Sox Remain Strong Betting Favorites After Solid First Week To Season
The Boston Red Sox wrapped up the first week of their season on a losing note, dropping a 14-4 decision to the New York Yankees in the Bronx on Sunday, but they still return to Beantown for their first homestand of the season sitting atop the American League East standings and as a strong 12-1 bet on the odds to win the World Series.
The Red Sox kick off their home schedule with a three-game interleague set against the Washington Nationals. Boston will send Rick Porcello to the mound in Monday afternoon’s Nationals vs. Red Sox betting matchup at Fenway Park, while Washington will counter with Jordan Zimmerman (1-0).
Porcello is 0-1 on the season after getting tagged with a loss against the Philadelphia Phillies last Wednesday. The Red Sox are pegged as slim -115 favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com for Monday’s clash despite have limited success historically against Washington.
The Red Sox were swept by the Nationals in Washington’s last visit to Fenway Park back in 2012, are winless in their last four against the team and are 5-5 in their last 10 overall.
The Nationals travel to Boston following a disappointing opening week in which they went 2-4 in six games against the Phillies and New York Mets, two clubs that Washington is expected to dominate in its quest to repeat as the National League East champion.
Despite their early season struggles, the Nationals remain 13-2 favorites on the World Series betting lines and a strong 1-4 bet to repeat as division champions.
Following their series with Washington, the Red Sox face the Baltimore Orioles in a four-game weekend set.
Baltimore posted a mediocre 3-3 record in its opening week of the campaign after winning 96 games a year ago to claim the AL East title by a wide 12-game margin over the Yankees — which put them 25 games ahead of the Red Sox.
The Orioles will look to rebound after dropping two of three to the Toronto Blue Jays on the weekend. The Jays scored 22 runs in two wins over Baltimore, after the O’s had held the Tampa Bay Rays to just nine total runs in three games to start the season.
Baltimore sits at 20-1 on the latest World Series odds. The club topped the Red Sox in last year’s season series, claiming victory in 11 of 19 meetings and winning seven of 10 contests at Fenway Park, including their last five.
Thumbnail photo via Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports Images
