Chicago Cubs 2020 MLB Betting Preview and Futures
Editor’s note: Illinois online sports betting has launched, and you can get in on the action now at BetRivers. Here’s a look at Chicago Cubs’ futures odds for the 2020 MLB season from the sportsbook.
With summer camps starting in just a few days and the 2020 MLB schedule officially released, MLB betting and daily fantasy baseball will be here in no time.
The Yankees and Nationals throw the first pitch July 23, followed by the Giants and Dodgers that Thursday night — two Opening Day games on which sports bettors can already place wagers.
The Cubs will start a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers on July 24 before traveling to Cincinnati for David Ross’s first road trip as manager. While we wait for Cubs’ Opening Day baseball odds, we can get started on their futures and season-long props now.
Chicago Cubs 2020 MLB Betting Preview and Futures
- Wins: Over/Under 32.5
- NL Central: +225
- NL Pennant: +1100
- World Series: +2200
- NL Cy Young Award: Yu Darvish +2000
Cubs 2020 Season Win Total: Over/Under 32.5
The Chicago Cubs finished 84-78 last season, missing the playoffs due to a late-season collapse where they lost 10 of their final 12 games. Can the Cubs make it back to the playoffs during this shortened 60-game season? More importantly, at least for this bet, will the Cubs go at least .550 and win more than 32 games in 2020?
Like all teams, the abbreviated schedule means the Cubs will play 40 games against their divisional opponents, plus 20 additional games against a cross-league division. In the Cubs’ case, it’s the AL Central. (NL East vs. AL East, NL West vs. AL West, etc., to limit travel)
Facing the Detroit Tigers (O/U 21.5 wins) and Kansas City Royals (O/U 23.5 wins) seven times certainly won’t hurt. Unfortunately for the Cubs, the Cardinals and Reds will get to beat up the bottom of the AL Central a bit more. The Cubs and White Sox meet six times as interleague rivals, which won’t be an easy test for either team, as both Chicago ball clubs are projected to win more than half of their games.
The Cubs also get seven of their 10 games against both the Cardinals and Brewers at Wrigley Field, which should provide some extra comfort in these weird times.
FanGraphs projects the Cubs to win between 31-32 games, which is just a hair shy of their win total at BetRivers.
Chicago Cubs +225 to Win the NL Central
Also per FanGraphs, the Cubs are projected to win the NL Central, but by a slim margin. Merely one game separates first and fourth place teams in the division. Here are FanGraphs’ win projections for all five NL Central teams with their odds to win the division in parentheses:
- Cubs: 31.9 (+225)
- Brewers: 31.4 (+300)
- Reds: 31 (+265)
- Cardinals: 30.8 (+240)
- Pirates: 25.9 (+7000)
The NL Central race should be one of the tightest and exciting to watch during this unprecedented season. It’s worth noting that the Cardinals and Reds each get three more games against the Tigers/Royals than the Cubs do, which could be enough to make a difference by game 60.
Out of all the teams, based on FanGraphs numbers, it’s actually the Pirates who present the most value at +7000.
FanGraphs gives the Pirates a 2.6% chance to win the division while their 70-1 odds come with an implied probability of 1.4%.
Chicago Cubs +1100 to Win the National League
The Cubs are tied for the sixth-best odds to win the National League pennant. They sit behind the Cardinals despite having slightly shorter odds to come out ahead in the division.
Winning the pennant won’t come easy with the Dodgers (+170), Braves (+600), Nationals (+750), and Mets (+900) in front of them. Making things more difficult is the fact that the Cubs lost both Cole Hamels and Nick Castellanos in the offseason.
Chicago Cubs +2200 to Win the World Series
It’s wiser to look for 2020 World Series value elsewhere rather than hoping the Cubs can come out on top of a crowded division and then make it past the Dodgers and Braves in the playoffs.
Instead, consider betting on the Chicago White Sox +2500 or the San Diego Padres +4000.
Yu Darvish +2000 to Win NL Cy Young
Out of all of the potential betting opportunities when it comes to the Cubs, this one is my favorite.
For one, Darvish has struggled with injuries during his time in the MLB, so the extra rest and fewer games pitched ought to provide some aid.
Secondly, after a rough start to the 2019 season, Darvish showed promise by bouncing back and eventually throwing his best stuff in September. His bad start included a 5.40 ERA through the first week of May but he closed with a 3.98 ERA by the season’s end. There’s even more reason for optimism when you look at Darvish’s 2019 WHIP (15th) and Hard-Hit Rate (5th).
To bet on Darvish +2000 to win Cy Young, click here!
Image Credit: USA Today Sports Images