Can the Red Sox Defy the Odds and Make a Playoff Push in 2024?

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It wasn’t that long ago tht the Boston Red Sox were a dominant force in the American League.

But the Red Sox haven’t appeared in the Fall Classic since beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018 and also won the World Series in 2013. Last season Boston missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

They are currently third in the five-team A.L. East this season, are currently one spot out of the AL Wild Card race and about to get some help back to both the lineup and pitching staff.

However, sports books still think the Red Sox could be a good bet to make a push toward the playoffs woth odds of +180 at the DraftKings Sportsbook to make the six team field. Yes, the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees both seem to be locks to make the playoffs out of the A.L. East, but you can never count the Red Sox out and they could be a Wild Card team.

The A.L. East has placed three teams in the field every year since 2020.

If Boston is going to keep that streak alive and get into the playoff field, it's their impressive offense that will take them there, led by Rafeal Devers, Tyler O'Neill and Jarren Duran. The Red Sox hit .262 as a team, second best in the Majors. They have hit the sixth most home runs.

They are about to get first baseman Triston Casas, who gives the Red Sox more power in the middle of their lineup, slugging six homers with a .513 slugging percentage over his 78 at-bats in his first 22 games this season.

The Red Sox are going to need better pitching and play better defense over the seasons last two months. While they have a top 12 pitching staff currently they are the worst defensive team in baseball. If they can sneak into the Top 10 in pitching and play better defense, that might carry Boston in to a Wild Card berth.

They are about to get two quality arms back, closer Liam Hendriks and reliever Chris Martin, both would help the Boston bullpen down the stretch.

Boston is the third choice at +6000 odds with the betting offers to win the A.L East, but are +3000 to win the AL Pennant for the first time since 2018. They also have the 15th best odds (+6500) to win the Worls Series in 2024.

But if you remember back the past few seasons have produced some surprise teams in the World Series. There were not too many people around the country that thought the Arizona Diamondbacks or Texas Rangers could win their respective leagues in 2023 -- with Texas winning the World Series. The Philadelphia Phillies won the N.L. Pennant in 2022 before losing to Houston in six games.

So maybe Boston can emulate those longshots and make some noise.

Surprises can happen in baseball, so betting Boston at +180 offers some good value to make the playoffs and I'd even think about betting them at +3000 to win the A.L. Pennant.

Would it be a shock if the Red Soz won the pennant? Yes. But in todays MLB, you can't never count any playoff team out, but they have a lot of work to do in the talented American League.

If the Red Sox played in the AL West, they would be in first-place, and would almost surely be a playoff team, but they reside in the East, where two playoff teams stand in their way.

With six teams now making the playoffs, the Red Sox are a good bet to be one of them, but winning the World Series seems a bit far-fetched right now.

We shall see what the rest of the summer brings the Red Sox, but they have a lot of work to do to make a return to the playoffs.

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