Cleveland Indians odds – Tribe hoping to recreate magic of 2007
With MLB odds of +750 to win the World Series, it’s probably a little surprising to see how highly sportsbooks are regarding Cleveland Indians odds. After all, the Tribe won just 82 games last season and their World Series odds are higher than even Tampa Bay’s, last year’s AL Champions.
There’s reason for optimism, though, if you plan to bet on the Indians.
Cleveland Indians odds: the talent is there, but will it come together?
- What does Cliff Lee have in store?
- Carmona should revert to ’07 form
- Fans hoping Hanfer, Martinez rebound
Cleveland is just two years removed from a 96-win season, when it was crowned AL Central Champion. The Indians advanced to the American League Championship Series, where they lost in seven games to the Boston Red Sox.
Thus, a core remains from that team. Some of the key players are gone—C.C. Sabathia being the most notable one—but others have stepped up in their place. Cliff Lee enjoyed a surprising Cy Young campaign after going 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. Surely, he won’t duplicate those numbers, but he might not fall off as much as Indians betting fans think. Lee went 18-5 with a 3.79 ERA in 2005, so he didn’t come completely out of nowhere.
Sports betting lines for the Indians will get a big boost if Fausto Carmona can return to his ’07 form. If you bet the Indians often, you likely remember his dominant effort that season, when he went 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA. Last year, those numbers fell to 8-7 and 5.44.
Offensively, there is great potential but also some question marks. Travis Hafner looks like a shell of his former self, and it looks more and more suspicious that he benefitted from steroids in the past. Cleveland shouldn’t count on him to reproduce his once-dominant numbers.
On the other hand, if you’re considering Indians odds, catcher Victor Martinez might give you some added reason to back them. Martinez played just half a year in 2008 and struggled, but before that he produced four straight All-Star caliber seasons. Either way, Kelly Shoppach is a nice contingency plan after belting 21 homers a year ago.
Grady Sizemore remains the heart and soul of the team. The centerfielder is a five-tool player, and he’s had four straight years of at least 22 home runs and 22 steals, including a career-high 33 homers and 38 swipes last year. If you bet on the Cleveland Indians, you’ll really enjoy watching his fancy work on the defensive side of things too.
The Tribe is stocked with talent at this point; it’s only a matter of when they’ll capitalize. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they cranked out another 90-win season, and considering they don’t have to contend with the Yankees and Red Sox in their own division—like Tampa Bay must this season—taking a flier on Cleveland Indians odds might not be a bad idea.
For more on Indians odds and baseball betting, check out the betonline.com Sportsbook.
Before his arm flamed out, Dale “Skip” Lalonde was famous for his high-90s heat and power at the plate. He retired young but never turned his back on baseball, earning the nickname “Skip” for his high-school coaching prowess. A true student of the game, he loves crunching the numbers when he handicaps baseball.
