The Chicago Cubs (53-35) lost 15 of their last 21 games heading into the MLB All-Star break, including nine of 11, but they are still +375 favorites (bet $100 to win $375) to end their championship drought at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.
The Cubs own a seven-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals (46-42) in the National League Central and are 7.5 games ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates (46-43), two teams that finished with better records a year ago but ended up losing to Chicago in the playoffs.
The Cardinals (+3300 to win the World Series) are at their lowest point of the season from a betting perspective after sitting at +1800 back on April 29.
Meanwhile, the Pirates (+5000) are even lower and were +2000 on April 29, when the Cubs were +500.
The division’s Milwaukee Brewers (38-49) and Cincinnati Reds (32-57) have virtually no shot to win the World Series right now at +50000 and +200000, respectively.
Two other division leaders in the league look to be Chicago’s top competition for the pennant. The NL West-leading San Francisco Giants (57-33) are the second choice to win the World Series at +550, and the NL East-leading Washington Nationals (54-36) are +900.
The Giants have won the World Series in the past three even-numbered years and were as high as +1400 to win it this year on April 29.
The Nationals opened the season at +1800 on April 6 and were the +750 second choice on April 29.
The American League won home-field advantage in the World Series for the fourth consecutive year on Tuesday with a 4-2 victory in the 87th MLB All-Star Game. That worked out well last season for the Kansas City Royals (45-43), who won the World Series after taking the AL Central with a 95-67 mark.
The Royals are +2000 to repeat on the World Series odds and will likely need to overtake the Cleveland Indians (52-36) to make the playoffs this year. The Indians went 81-80 a year ago, and they are the +750 fourth choice to win the World Series behind another division leader from the AL in the Texas Rangers (54-36).
The Rangers are +700 to win the World Series and have appeared in it twice in the previous six seasons. They lost both times, though, falling to San Francisco in 2010 and St. Louis in 2011.
The Toronto Blue Jays (51-40) beat Texas in last year’s AL Divisional Series, and they are among three teams in the AL East that are more than 10 games over .500.
The Blue Jays are +1000 to win the World Series, ahead of both the division-leading Baltimore Orioles (51-36) and Boston Red Sox (49-38), who are each +1400. The Orioles have been one of the biggest movers on those odds since the season started.
Betting information courtesy of Odds Shark.
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