World Series 2014: Odds and Prop Bets Info for Giants vs. Royals Game 1
Two teams that have been immovable forces throughout the postseason will clash for all the marbles starting Tuesday night, as the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants are set to battle in Game 1 of the World Series.
Losing has become an unfamiliar occurrence to the Royals, who haven't tasted defeat since the regular season. While extra-inning affairs have become their thing, Kansas City's magical late-game prowess has paved the way to a perfect 8-0 postseason record.
It's truly a momentous time for the franchise after missing the playoffs for 29 straight years. It now has a chance to make the organization's last two postseason appearances World Series wins.
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James Shields will take the mound for Kansas City in what is set for an 8 p.m. ET start on Fox, per the Royals' Twitter:
If they're going to repeat history and go all the way just like the Royals did in 1985, they'll have to go through the Giants. Winners of two recent titles, San Francisco likely won't back down in a series that could end in four games or go the distance.
Here's a look at some betting lines for Game 1, as well as futures and prop bets for the entire series.
Game 1 Odds
| San Francisco Giants | +1.5 | 50/57 |
| Kansas City Royals | -1.5 | 26/25 |
Game 1 Over/Under: 6.5
Note: All odds courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated Oct. 21 at 12 p.m. ET
Prop Bets and Other Odds
Odds to Win 2014 World Series
| Kansas City Royals | 10/11 |
| San Francisco Giants | 10/11 |
As really should be the case in a World Series affair, there's not much out there to split these two teams entering this series. With each carrying a ridiculous head of steam into the Fall Classic, oddsmakers have thrown their hands up in the air cluelessly in deciding who has the upper edge entering Game 1.
It's a push between the Royals and Giants as to who is the series favorite, and that shouldn't really be a surprise. San Francisco won each of its three NLDS victories by one run, and every NLCS game against the Cardinals was remarkably tight other than a 3-0 Game 1 win.
Kansas City has built a reputation on late-game heroics, winning its first three postseason games in extras before pulling out a pair of 2-1 wins to clinch the ALCS over Baltimore.
Both teams play their best baseball when things get tight, and it's created a push in Vegas. If you're wanting to jump on the back of either of these teams, you'd be best set doing so while the line is favorable.
Odds to Win 2014 World Series MVP
| Pablo Sandoval (Giants) | 8-1 |
| Buster Posey (Giants) | 17-2 |
| Lorenzo Cain (Royals) | 9-1 |
| Eric Hosmer (Royals) | 10-1 |
| Mike Moustakas (Royals) | 10-1 |
| Alex Gordon (Royals) | 12-1 |
| Hunter Pence (Giants) | 12-1 |
| Madison Bumgarner (Giants) | 12-1 |
| James Shields (Royals) | 14-1 |
| Alcides Escobar (Royals) | 15-1 |
| Brandon Belt (Giants) | 15-1 |
| Jake Peavy (Giants) | 15-1 |
| Santiago Casilla (Giants) | 15-1 |
| Greg Holland (Royals) | 15-1 |
Pablo Sandoval will forever be synonymous with the World Series spotlight after going from struggling benchwarmer in 2010 to World Series MVP in 2012, and the oddsmakers haven't forgotten his recent prowess.
Sandoval's 2012 MVP might not have been possible without his three-home run performance in Game 1, in which he joined Babe Ruth, Albert Pujols and Reggie Jackson as the only ones to do so in a Fall Classic game.
Don't assume more long balls are in Sandoval's future, as he's homer-less in the postseason with only one RBI, but he's been a hitting machine with a .326 playoff batting average. He can make his impact and possibly even win MVP without hitting the long ball, especially in a World Series featuring two gritty offenses and superb defenses.
Other potential heroes see their names atop the list—like Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer and Alex Gordon, all of whom have proven clutch at the plate.
But the odds are spread out for a reason. Any player can become the hero on any given night, and sometimes all it can take is one or two clutch moments to take the MVP.
It doesn't hurt to have your team win the series, too.
World Series Exact Result
| Giants in 4 | 12-1 |
| Giants in 5 | 6-1 |
| Giants in 6 | 5-1 |
| Giants in 7 | 9-2 |
| Royals in 4 | 12-1 |
| Royals in 5 | 11-2 |
| Royals in 6 | 4-1 |
| Royals in 7 | 15-4 |
This is easily the most thought-provoking—not to mention potentially frustrating—prop bet entering the Fall Classic.
The Royals for the sweep at 12-1? You can bet that will be a popular bet after KC swept its first two series of the postseason. San Francisco winning the series in five games at 6-1 will also entice Giants fans who watched their team lose just one game in both postseason series.
With the lineups seasoned for late-game success and the bullpens dealing, though, it's even likelier we could see this series go the distance. Per Baseball-Reference.com, Kansas City's bullpen has notched a 1.88 ERA while the Giants' is at 1.87 in the playoffs, with both units pitching almost 34 innings each.
Will one team succumb to the pressure and end its hot streak, allowing the other to cruise to a short series victory? Or do both teams have enough in the tank mentally and physically to keep up with these late-inning thrillers, pushing it to six or seven games?
If you have a hunch about either, there is some coin out there to be won.
All prop bets courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated Oct. 21 at 12 p.m. ET
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