You Probably Should Have Bet on Cubs When They Stumbled Early
I’m neither heavy in the market nor a big gambler, but I know there’s better value to be had when a stock is low. And there were few teams lower than the Cubs after a 2-7 start that saw them fall five games behind the Brewers in the division right out of the gate. Many wrote them off.
The advantageous bettors out there, on the other hand, saw the chance to pounce on an opportunity to get more bang for their buck. Had you jumped on the Cubs in that second week of the season, you’d have gotten a decidedly higher return on your confidence that if you get in now.
Of course, getting in now is also the safer bet. According to MyTopSportsBooks.com, the Cubs have shot well ahead of their division rivals after recovering from that early stumble.
The Cubs’ slow start saw their odds to win the Central drop from +225 to +325, well back of the Cardinals and Brewers. But thanks largely to more consistent starting pitching, Chicago is tied for the best record in the NL over the last 30 games (21-9), owns the second-best run differential in the league (+58), and now has a one-game lead over the Brewers in the Central. In turn, their odds to win the division have improved to +150, considerably shorter than Milwaukee (+210) and St. Louis (+440). When it comes to wagering on the Cubs, these sportsbook list reviews are based on reliability and easy-to-use platforms all reviewed by the experts.
For those of you unaware of what that all means, the numbers above represent moneylines for betting. Each positive number means you’ll win that much for every $100 you put down. So a $100 bet on the Cubs to win the NL Central placed at their worst point of the season would pay out an additional $325 if they’re victorious. Betting on them now, however, would only get you an extra $150.
We’ll be back with more odds in our weekly Quantifying Hope series, but I thought this was a nice edition because Vegas knows the deal. And with sports gambling being allowed in more and more states and regions, it’s a little more in the social consciousness.
So if you’re among those looking to lay down a little cheddar now that the Cubs are playing better, you may want to do it now before the odds get even lower.