Although the Baltimore Orioles got close to making 2017 playoffs at a few points in the season, the team’s performance in September did not help their cause.
Looking to the 2018 season, do the experts in Las Vegas consider the Baltimore Orioles a safe bet to make it to the World Series?
The short answer is no.
While the Orioles do not have the worst odds to make it to the Fall Classic, they do have very good ones. Vegas odds are currently sitting at 50/1 according to the website VegasInsider.com. These odds put the O’s in 19th place and tied with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The best and the worst
The teams that are expected to be in the playoffs in 2018, according to the odds, include all of the same teams that are currently there. The teams with the worst odds include the Detroit Tigers and the San Diego Padres. Interestingly, the San Francisco Giants, who were the worst in the NL in 2017, has 33/1 odds to win the World Series in 2018.
Too many unanswered questions
There are plenty of unanswered questions about the Orioles in 2018. The starting rotation has several openings, but the lineup should remain relatively the same. It is clear that the lineup can hit, having Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop hitting 65 home runs together. Five other Orioles hit 20 or more home runs, too. The Machado-Schoop combination also accounted for 200 RBIs.
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Some of the questions that might be on the minds of the oddsmakers in Vegas could involve the older players and the younger players. Will Trey Mancini hit a sophomore slump? Will Mark Trumbo and Chris Davis regress more? Will Ryan Flaherty be the utility guy or will a minor leaguer take that spot? Will Chance Sisco be the second catcher in 2018 or will Welington Castillo return to hit more home runs?
Another question that might have contributed to the 50/1 odds involves the trade deadline in 2018. If the team is not in playoff contention, will the O’s consider trading Machado and Zach Britton prior to their free agency? The questions are numerous.
Next: When Rich Hill pitched for the Orioles
If you bet $100 on the Orioles to win and they won, you would win $5000. The Orioles last won the World Series in 1983, so they are well overdue for another chance at the MLB title. But, there are many other teams that have experienced droughts, too.