NL Central Odds Update: Cubs, Reds Gain Ground On Brewers

The NL Central has been messy in 2023, as the Milwaukee Brewers are favored to win the division. Still, the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs remain in the picture.

We’ll dive into each team in the division ranked where FanDuel Sportsbook has them on the odds board. 

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The Milwaukee Brewers continue to lead the NL Central but have company from the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs. Even with Milwaukee allowing the Cubs and Reds to gain ground on them over the last week, they still lead the NL Central by two games and have seen their odds rise. The Brewers have suffered three straight losses and own a 5-5 record over their last ten games but have seen their odds of being crowned NL Central champs bet down from -125 to -150. 

The Chicago Cubs‘ regular season has had some ups and downs, but they’ve been able to hang around the NL playoff race. Six victories over their last ten games have helped lead the Cubs to sit in a tie for the National League’s final wild-card spot. In addition, the Cubs trail the Brewers by just two games for the division lead. The Cubs are the only team in the NL Central with a positive run differential at +63, and that could be a good enough hint to buy into their current price to win the division, even after it dropped from +135 to +140 over the last week. 

The Cincinnati Reds went into the regular season projected to struggle. That hasn’t happened, and their young talent has reignited the club. Even when pundits continue to count out the Reds, they’ve remained right there with the Brewers and Cubs in the race for the NL Central. Entering action on August 18, the Reds trail the Brewers by two games for the NL Central lead. Even though the Reds have picked up only four victories in their last ten games, they’ve still managed to gain a half-game on the Brewers over the last week. Still, the Reds’ odds of winning the NL Central have taken a hit and dropped off from +550 to +750. 

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The St. Louis Cardinals entered the year as the favorites to win the NL Central. They’ve looked anything but contenders and were sellers at the MLB trade deadline. St. Louis finds itself in the basement of the NL Central with a disappointing 54-68 record. Calling up top prospect Masyn Winn should excite Red Birds fans, but their +25000 odds to win the NL Central dampen the mood in St. Louis. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates got off to a shockingly good start, leading the NL Central for a significant portion of the first two months. They’ve since returned to earth and are playing more like the team we expected. Pittsburgh has dropped to 54-67 on the campaign, which is on par with what many predicted the season would look like for them. The Pirates have played themselves out of the division race and continued to boast +25000 odds to win the NL Central. 

NL Central Odds on FanDuel Sportsbook. 

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