It’s a match-up straight from a Hollywood movie, starring two teams with the longest title droughts in the history of the Major League Baseball: the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians.
The Cubs, whose last World Series appearance came in 1945, are seeking to end their 108-year dry spell, while the Indians, who last appeared in the Fall Classic in 1997, haven’t flourished on the championship stage in 68 years. But that’s about to change as each team is only four victories away from making history.
This intriguing championship clash has, of course, set off a betting frenzy in Las Vegas.
A number of sportsbooks on the Strip are forecasting the World Series betting will exceed the unofficial record in 2004, when the Boston Red Sox emerged from their 86-year championship misery. Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook vice president for race and sports operations Jay Kornegay told Reuters that the two teams—who opened the best-of-seven World Series in Cleveland on Tuesday—have also captured the attention of non-baseball fans.