Quantifying Hope: Cubs’ Odds Growing Longer as April Draws to Close

Now that we’re a few weeks into the season, it’s time for our first Quantifying Hope post of 2021. While there’s not actually a whole lot of hope to quantify at this point, it might do you Pollyannas out there a little good to know that you can at least earn a little more money if you’re comfortable putting money on your favorite team.

That’s because the Cubs are +4625 odds to win the World Series right now after getting as low at +2500 early in the year. I’m not saying the investment itself would be wise, but the return on it sure would be nice. And if they keep playing like they did in a sweep of the Mets at Wrigley, you’ll be buying low on them.

Even if you’re not into gambling, the odds tracker at Sports Betting Dime is useful as a gauge of how the season is unfolding for various teams. Because odds change based on a variety of events, you can get a customizable timeline for a given team, division, or league with a few clicks.

You’ll find something similar over at FanGraphs, though the playoff projections there were never very bullish on the Cubs’ chances. After opening at 22.9% as of Opening Day, the Cubs peaked at 25.3% on April 4 and have since tumbled nearly 10 points. As you might be able to tell, they’re actually down from a day ago despite winning again.

The good news, if you’re into that sort of thing, is that this could all change in a hurry given how early we are in the season. Then again, the Pirates are already close to flatlining and there’s plenty of season left for the Cubs to start dragging ass again.