The San Francisco Giants have taken early control of the NL West with a 17-4 record in their last 21 games. The Giants could be one of the biggest threats to the Chicago Cubs in the National League this season.
MLB odds 2016: Giants and Red Sox climbing on the odds to win World Series; Cubs still lead
San Francisco and Boston look like potential threats to the heavily favored Chicago Cubs on the updated odds to win the 2016 World Series.
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
San Francisco is now going off at +900 on the odds to win the World Series at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The Boston Red Sox are also going off at +900, and both teams are second only to the Chicago Cubs at +350 on the betting board to win the World Series.
The Giants took a gamble this offseason in signing Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija to big long term deals, as both were coming off one of the worst seasons of their respective careers. But through the first third of the season, that gamble has paid huge dividends; both have returned to form and pitched like aces.
With Madison Bumgarner rounding out the top three, this is one of the most dangerous top of the rotations in baseball.
The offense with 4.3 runs per game to date has also tied or out-produced other teams in the National League with excellent pitching such as the Washington Nationals (+1100 on the World Series odds) also at 4.3 runs per game and the New York Mets (+1100) at 3.75 per game.
The Chicago Cubs are the most well-rounded team in baseball, ranking third in the league in runs with 5.33 per game and best in the MLB in pitching with a 2.61 ERA. Only one other team ranks in the top six in both categories, and that team is the Seattle Mariners with the league’s fifth-best offense at 5.0 runs per game and sixth-best team ERA at 3.49.
The Mariners could make for a solid value pick at +1600 if they continue to play at a high level.
Other contenders to win the World Series this season include the Texas Rangers (+1200), Los Angeles Dodgers (+1600), Toronto Blue Jays (+1800), Kansas City Royals (+1800), Chicago White Sox (+2000), Baltimore Orioles (+2000), Cleveland Indians (+2200), Pittsburgh Pirates (+2500) and the Detroit Tigers (+2500).
The Blue Jays have been playing well recently with a 7-1 record in their last eight games, all coming against the Red Sox and New York Yankees (+3300).
