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Cleveland Indians open as underdog vs. Houston Astros in American League Division Series

According to Bovada, the Cleveland Indians will enter their American League Division Series against the Houston Astros as an underdog.
Credit: Bob Levey/Getty Images

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians' regular season is not yet over, but they already know who they'll be meeting in postseason play.

With the Boston Red Sox having already locked up the top seed in the American League, the AL Central champion Indians are locked into an opening round series with the AL West champion Houston Astros. And when the Indians head to Houston next Friday for their American League Division series opener, they'll do so as underdogs, with betting site Bovada listing the Astros as a -230 favorite in the best-of-five matchup.

Bovada, meanwhile, lists the Indians odds of knocking off the defending World Series champs at +190. For the gambling uninitiated, a successful $100 wager on Cleveland to win the series would net a bettor $190, while winning $100 on a Houston series victory would require a bettor to risk $230.

That the Indians are underdogs to the Astros doesn't come as much of a surprise. Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Houston lays claim to a record of 100-59, which will give the Astros homefield advantage over the currently 89-70 Indians.

Of course, as Cleveland has learned, homefield advantage only gets you so far. Last season, Cleveland entered the ALDS with its own homefield advantage before falling to the New York Yankees in five games.

In other words, the Astros' upcoming advantage -- could ultimately mean very little. But if the Indians are going to break the longest World Series drought in baseball history, they'll have to overcome the odds -- literally.

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