Red Soxs historic win streak has caused massive betting market disruption
How can you not be romantic about baseball?The Red Sox have turned a once forlorn season on its head with a 14-game win streak that has launched them inside the American League wild-card picture.Boston, which entered July with 125/1 World Series odds, has slashed its outlook to 25/1 at DraftKings Sportsbook entering Tuesday’s game against the Orioles at Fenway Park. This is a club that spent the season’s first three months in last place in the AL East and, as recently as June 24, owned the American League’s worst record at 32-46, sat 15 ½ games out of first and were all but destined to sell house at the trade deadline.The Red Sox were scrutinized for a lack of direction after another cost-conscious offseason that saw Alex Bregman walk to the Cubs.Things only grew more uncertain when they fired player-favorite manager Alex Cora on April 25 following a 10-17 start and promoted Triple-A Worcester skipper Chad Tracy.They’ve taken 19 of their last 21 games via a never-say-die mentality that’s produced nine comeback wins, including Monday’s 6-5 classic over Baltimore that moved them within one victory of tying the franchise’s 15-game winning-streak record, set by Ted Williams’ 1946 Red Sox.The streak has left sportsbooks exposed, too.
A bettor who started with a $100 moneyline wager on the Red Sox and rolled over the entire payout into each of the club’s last 14 games would have turned it into $572,896, according to Bleacher Report.Oddsmakers were initially hesitant to overreact to Boston’s surge, given that the streak began against cellar dwellers like the Angels and Mets.After sweeping the division-leading Rays and snapping the Orioles’ seven-game winning streak, the Red Sox have earned the market’s respect. Poor defense and inconsistent hitting had stymied the Red Sox through the spring.But these wins have been fueled by contributions from every corner of the roster, creating a nightly carousel of heroes, whether it’s two-out RBIs from a ...