World Series Game 1 Odds: Kershaw an Underdog for First Time Since 2012
Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw.
- Chris Sale and the Red Sox are -142 favorites in Game 1 of the 2018 World Series against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers (+128).
- This is the first time Kershaw has been an underdog in more than six calendar years.
- Both southpaws have something to prove as their postseason numbers are nowhere close to their elite regular-season stats.
Game 1 of the 2018 World Series is shaping up to be a classic on paper. Clayton Kershaw and Chris Sale, two of the best pitchers in the game, hope to quiet any doubters questioning their postseason abilities.
Kershaw has a long track record of underwhelming performances in the playoffs, posting just a 4.03 ERA in 141 innings compared to his eye-popping 2.39 ERA in the regular season.
Sale, on the other hand, has a 5.85 ERA in just 20 playoff innings, including an all-around ugly start in Game 1 of the ALCS in which he walked four batters in four innings.
He was hospitalized afterwards with what turned out to be an infection due to a belly button ring …
To each his own, I guess.
Here are the betting odds for Game 1 of the 2018 World Series:
- Red Sox (-142), Dodgers (+128)
- Over/under: 7.5
>> All odds as of 7:45 p.m. ET. Download The Action Network App to get real-time MLB odds and track your bets
Common sense tells us that Kershaw is not often an underdog, but Bet Labs reveals that he hasn't been a pooch since July 24, 2012. The Dodgers closed at +127 on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals with Adam Wainwright on the mound.
Including the postseason, this will be the 34th time in his career that Kershaw is a dog compared to 305 games as a favorite.
The southpaw has gone 17-16 in his 33 starts as a dog for +3.7 units.
Will bettors jump on the opportunity to take Kershaw at a plus-money payout or will they lay the cash and go with Sale at home?
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