Sep 24, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (49) tips his cap towards the outfield after third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
At least the Las Vegas odds makers aren’t completely overlooking the 2015 Chicago White Sox.
According to the site bovida.lv, the pre-spring training odds for the White Sox to win the 2015 World Series championship are 16/1 (as of Feb. 17), seventh best in the majors.
The White Sox odds to win the AL Championship are 7/1 (tied with the Seattle Mariners for third best), and the odds for the White Sox to win the AL Central championship are +225, the same number as the Detroit Tigers.
Not too bad.
Going back to the AL championship, the White Sox only have the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels ahead of them at 11/2, and the Tigers are at 15/2 to win the AL pennant.
But the ultimate prize is still the World Series championship, and the team with the best pre-spring training odds to take home the trophy in October are the Washington Nationals at 13/2, followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers at 17/2. The two teams with the worst odds to become champions in October are the Colorado Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies at 150/1.
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With the 16/1 odds given to the White Sox to become World Series champions 10 years after the last time they were the best team in baseball … having the same 16/1 odds as the Tigers, Mariners, and the reigning World Series champion San Francisco Giants isn’t such a bad thing.
Those aren’t bad of odds for the White Sox to win the World Series, and if anything else, at least the Vegas odds makers aren’t overlooking the White Sox this season, unlike some media outlets which have them winning 75 or even less games in ’15.
The fact the White Sox are even in the same discussion with the Tigers in the AL Central and World Series odds is a good sign the organization has actually done something correctly this offseason, which we all knew they have before these odds were even released.
We all know the moves made by the White Sox this offseason, bringing in the likes of players such as Adam LaRoche, Jeff Samardzija, Melky Cabrera, Zach Duke and David Robertson to name a few of the impact players added to what remains of the roster from last season, a roster which finished 73-89 overall.
Already knowing the White Sox and the Tigers are each +225 to win the AL Central, following them are the Cleveland Indians (+240), Kansas City Royals (+450) and the Minnesota Twins (+1800).
What are your thoughts on the pre-spring training betting odds Vegas has given out for the Good Guys? Are the too high, too low or just right as teams are a handful of days away from the start of spring baseball activities?