The Boston Red Sox are one of the most well-revered teams in Major League Baseball, and after a season full of redemption fans are already looking toward the future. Many would agree that the 2017 betting preview for the Red Sox is destined for greatness, with the emergence of young talent that dominated last season and plenty of new additions on the horizon. All-star pitcher Chris Sale along with Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts, and Xander Bogaerts are just a few of the names that make the Boston Red Sox contenders to champion the entire 2017 MLB season.
The 2017 Boston Red Sox betting preview shows that as always, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is willing to make power moves to put the Sox in the best position to reign supreme in the American League. As the season progresses, the betting odds for the Boston Red Sox will fluctuate as more stats and rankings start to appear. You can view all the latest Red Sox betting lines, news, and updates by reading through our 2017 Boston Red Sox betting guide.
The Boston Red Sox had an astonishing turnaround year, going from worst in the league to earning the AL East division title. Though in previous years this feat also lead to claiming the National League Championship Series, the Sox saw their World Series aspirations end after the Cleveland Indians beat them 4-3 in a three-game winning streak. Even with their defeat, oddsmakers have recognized that the Red Sox overall season was their best in years. The Sox were MLB leaders in several key areas, including batting average (.282), slugging (.461), and hits (1,598). With stats like these, it only makes sense that the Boston Red Sox odds to win the 2017 World Series are +600, the second best odds across all of Major League Baseball.
Teams Odds to Win the Division
Though the odds are not yet available for which team will win the division, we anticipate that the Boston Red Sox will be favored by oddsmakers. Not only did the team win their 3rd division title since 2007, but the fresh crop of young talent has proved to be an asset to the franchise. Mookie Betts is an AL leader that finished the previous season batting .318 with 31 home runs. He’s tied for second place with teammate Dustin Pedroia in overall batting average for the league. AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello (right fielder) saw himself hitting career highs, going 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA. As long as Boston continues developing its young talent and keeps up their impressive offense, then the Boston Red Sox odds to win the Division should be favorable.
Key Additions For 2017
Chris Sale, Pitcher - Obtaining White Sox ace Chris Sale was one of the biggest trade moves for the 2017 MLB season. Chris Sale is a five-time All-Star that had 17 wins last season, posting a 3.34 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. Sale had 233 strikeouts in 226 innings pitched and was an American League Cy Young nominee for the fifth consecutive year in ‘16. In the entirety of his career with the White Sox, Sale amassed 1,244 strikeouts and a 74-50 record.
Tyler Thornburg, Pitcher - Tyler Thornburg was previously a full-time reliever with a 2.15 ERA over 67 games. This right-handed pitcher is known for dominating opponents that bat from the left side. Southpaws were 86% worse than the average in the league when batting against Thornburg. Thornburg went 8-5 and posted a 2.15 ERA, not to mention maintained a strikeout rate of 12.09 per 9 innings. The eighth-inning reliever was traded from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Key Departures for 2017
David Ortiz, DH - Ortiz hit 38 home runs in the most recent season, and won three World Series championships with the franchise in 2004, 2007, and 2013. In his final season, “Big Papi” also led the American League and MLB in doubles, with a total of 48 spanning across 151 games. The retirement of legend David Ortiz has created a definite need for a new power hitter in the Sox lineup, though many would his agree his talent will be hard to match.
Yoan Moncada, 2B/3B - Yoan Moncada has been ranked the #1 prospect in Major League Baseball by various experts, making the Red Sox’s decision to trade the emerging talent one of the most talked-about deals of the Winter Meetings. His 2016 rankings were impressive all across the board, finishing .294/.407/.511 with 45 stolen bases and 15 homers during his 66 games in the minors. Moncada has played at both second and third base, with some playing time at shortstop and the outfield. The 21-year old switcher-hitter made history two years ago when Boston paid $63 million to get Moncada signed out of Cuba and into their farm. Moncada was sent to the White Sox along with #67 prospect Michael Kopech, #28 prospect Victor Diaz, and #8 prospect Luis Alexander Basabe.
Travis Shaw, 3B - The third baseman excelled during the first half of the Sox season, but had subpar performance throughout the final stretch. Starting out hitting .269/.332/.456, Shaw’s fall to a mere .194/.259/.360 in the second half was more than disappointing. He was traded to the Brewers in a three package deal along with Mauricio Dubon and Josh Pennington.
Who is the #1 Boston Red Sox Prospect?
Andrew Benintendi, Outfielder - Andrew Benintendi was called up to the majors rather late in the season, and then suffered an injury. Even with only 118 appearances at the plate, Benintendi proved that he is a force to be reckoned with. Finishing the regular season with a .295 BA, .359 OBP, and a slugging percentage of .476, Benintendi proved that he can be a valuable contributor even at such a young age. Due to his late entrance into the lineup and not surpassing 130 at-bats (105 at-bats), Benintendi is still featured at the top of the prospects list. With a previous season that defied expectations, Andrew Benintendi’s betting odds for Rookie of the Year are sure to be favorable.
MLB betting can be particularly lucrative due to the large number of games that happen during the week or even just on a daily basis. All you need to get in on the action is to open an account at a legitimate online MLB sportsbook. You will be asked for basic details such as your name, address, phone number, date of birth, and email. The next step will be to make a deposit, and it will be during this stage that you have the option to redeem any bonuses or promotions that are being offered. With a fully funded account, you can go to the Baseball section of the sportsbook and begin looking at the various MLB betting lines. Each line will note the available wagering options whether it is the moneyline, run line, or total. There will be a separate section for MLB Futures and Props, as well as a live betting page. You can even bet on the Sox from your iPhone, iPad, or Microsoft tablet. The options are truly endless when using an online sports betting site to bet on the Boston Red Sox.
Making Your First Baseball Betting Deposit
Making your first baseball betting deposit at an online sportsbook is as easy as logging into your email or checking stats from your smartphone. Once logged into your sportsbook account, visit the Cashier tab of the site. You will be prompted to make your first deposit and there will be a variety of different methods depending on the country in which you reside. The most common methods include credit cards, checks, bank wires, money orders, and Bitcoin. The speeds will vary, for example checks take additional time to be mailed and cleared, but all of the options are secure and safe. If the method that you choose has a processing fee, the sportsbook will waive the charge for your initial deposit. You may also be asked to email or fax verification documents when making your first betting deposit. This is a way to ensure your identity and protect your account for future banking transactions. All in all, it may only take 5 minutes to make your first deposit and begin betting on MLB!
Best Deposit Methods For Baseball Bettors
The best deposit methods for baseball bettors are those that are reliable, and most importantly, fast. When you are constantly placing MLB bets you do not want to wait weeks or even days for money to be credited to your account. That is why we recommend credit cards and e-wallets as the best deposit methods for baseball bettors. You use your Visa, MasterCard, and/or American Express for purchases everywhere else, and now you can also use them at your favorite online sportsbook. The funds are instantly credited to your account and you can start wagering right away. There may be a small transaction fee of no more than 6.9%, but if applicable most sportsbooks will waive this fee with your first deposit.
E-wallet services such as Neteller and Skrill are excellent for international bettors, and Bitcoin is the fastest deposit method for baseball bettors worldwide. All of these services are linked to a personal wallet that you can deposit, withdraw, and transfer money from within in minutes. It saves you the step of having to enter your personal bank account or credit card information in the sportsbook being that it is already saved in your e-wallet. Neteller, Skrill, and Bitcoin all have higher deposit limits than most of the other methods available. Another benefit of this option is that you can fund your account multiple times per week, meaning that you can increase your account just as the MLB action intensifies throughout the week.
The Basics of Deposit Bonuses and How To Use Them
Deposit bonuses can be extremely valuable if you choose the right one. It all depends on the terms and conditions to redeem the bonus. There will always be a rollover requirement that has to be met on deposit bonuses, which means you must wager your deposit + bonus amount a certain amount of times before you can make any withdrawals from the sportsbook. These rollovers typically range from 6 to 10 times the total amount, but if you are placing daily MLB wagers then meeting this stipulation should not be too difficult.
What baseball bettors want to play close attention to is when the bonus will actually be credited to your account. Some sportsbooks will instantly credit the entire amount into your wallet, however, there are others that will incrementally place the funds in your account as you wager. For example, the 50% Plus New Player Reward at 5Dimes is credited in 10% increments each time that you place a wager, up until your tenth wager where the full reward is available. Bovada, on the other hand, offers a $250 Welcome Bonus that is available within 30 minutes of making your deposit. The rollover is only 5X, which is easy for any recreational baseball bettor to meet.
Here at MLBPreview.com we feel that reading baseball odds is the most basic aspect of MLB betting that you will need to be familiar with. There are three types of baseball odds- American, fractional, and decimal. As you may have guessed, American odds are most common at online sportsbooks that accept USA players. They will feature a (-) sign to designate the favorite, and a (+) sign to represent the underdog. This will be followed by a numerical number that represents your payout. Your payout will differ depending on which side you bet on. For example, +600 odds for the Red Sox to win the World Series would mean you have to risk $100 to win $600, while Boston Red Sox (-112) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (+123) would mean you have to wager $112 for a $100 return on Boston.
Fractional odds do not involve the complex calculations that you may assume are necessary. All you need is a basic understanding of how the risk and payout are displayed. The numerator represents the win, and the denominator represents the payout. For example, 8/1 odds would mean that a bettor would win $8 for every $1 wagered, while 1/8 odds would mean the opposite. To determine the underdog and favorite, just look at if the value of the fraction is greater or less than 1. The lower number will always be the favorite, while the higher number will be the underdog. The quick rule of thumb is that if the fraction is greater than 1 your potential win will be more than you risked, and if the fraction is less than 1 you will have to risk more than your potential earnings.
Decimal odds are most commonly used in Europe, and those familiar with the odds would argue that they are the simplest form of betting odds. Rather than fractional and American odds that display the profit, decimal odds denote the actual return including your risk amount. For example, if the decimal odds are 2.24 and you wager $100, your total return would be $224. All a bettor has to do to calculate their total winnings is multiply the decimal by the amount wagered ($100 x 2.24= $224).
Baseball fans are some of the most stat-savvy sports fans in the world. Every aspect of player and team performance is meticulously tracked, such as plate appearances (PA), batting average on balls in play (BABIP), and wins above replacement (WAR). While the Red Sox announced that they would be relying a little less on the use of sabermetrics, there is no question that knowing the numbers is still hugely beneficial to Sox upper management and sports bettors alike. Certain stats will always be key in handicapping baseball, such as earned run average (ERA) and walks and hits per innings pitched (WHIP). Let’s say you wanted to learn a pitcher’s overall competency as part of your starting pitcher research. You could compare their ERA to WHIP from the last few games in order to get a clearer picture of their pitching ability. There are a number of different MLB trends and statistics to look out for, but knowing the team offensively and measuring the team’s on-base percentage (OBP) and average runs scored are always helpful.
Top Online Baseball Betting Site For Boston Red Sox
If you want to bet on the Boston Red Sox to win the American League East title for the second consecutive year, then Bovada online sportsbook is the best place to go. The sportsbook has been providing baseball bettors with a professional and easy to navigate sportsbook for over a decade. There are more ways to bet than ever, with the sportsbook offering both mobile and in-game betting. There is no download required for mobile betting, you can begin making MLB wagers by visiting the Bovada.lv site from your smartphone or tablet. Plus you can do more than just put money on the Red Sox from the platform. Easily deposit money, request a payout, or view live MLB lines from the palm of your hand.
You will find the best selection of Red Sox betting lines, whether it be the moneyline, run line, or total. The options do not stop there, as parlays and props are in full swing at Bovada as well. Pick up to twelve selections for a parlay, and choose between a wide selection of player, team, and game props. A common MLB futures bet that every baseball bettor is interested in is who will win the World Series, and Bovada will feature championship odds for the Red Sox before many other sportsbooks. When it comes to best online baseball betting site for the Red Sox, Bovada is the sportsbook to join!