Last Updated on March 11, 2010 2:15 pm by Anthony Rome
Cubs Season Odds
Injuries derailed the Chicago Cubs’ 2009 season, but with a now healthy roster, can the Cubbies overcome the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central? Let’s take a look at Chicago’s season odds.
The Cubs’ veteran core of Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez is enough to keep them competitive the entire season. But the club will need Soriano, Ramirez and 2008 NL Rookie of the Year Geovany Soto to stay healthy and play much better than they did in 2009. Injuries or not, this was a club that vastly underachieved last season and will need better production on the field this year in order to overtake the Cardinals in the division.
The problem with this year’s version of the Cubbies is that it resembles last year’s club in a lot of ways, which isn’t a good thing. Kosuke Fukudome, Ryan Theriot and new addition Marlon Byrd are all fine players, but none of them can be counted on to carry the offense if Lee, Ramirez and Soriano fall victim to injuries again.
The starting rotation isn’t bad, headlined with Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly and Ryan Dempster, but the back end of the rotation of Randy Wells and Tom Gorzelanny won’t scare anyone and the bullpen has always been a question mark. That said, there’s certainly enough promise in Carlos Marmol, John Grabow, Angel Guzman, Jeff Samardzija and Sean Marshall to do good things in 2010.
Oddsmakers from online sports book BroburySports.com have made the Cubs a 20/1 long shot to win the 2010 World Series. They’re also 8/1 to win the NL Pennant and 2.4/1 to win the NL Central. The over/under total for number of wins for Chicago has been set at 83.5 this season.
This is certainly a club that contend given their current roster and they don’t play in a tough division. But the Cardinals are clearly a more talented team and if the Cubs can’t stay healthy, then a repeat of last year is certainly a possibility.
2010 MLB World Series Odds
Chicago Cubs 20/1
2010 MLB NL Pennant Odds
Chicago Cubs 8/1
2010 MLB NL Central Odds
Chicago Cubs 2.4/1
2010 MLB Regular Season Win Totals
Chicago Cubs Over 83.5 (-130)
Chicago Cubs Under 83.5 (even)
Posted: 3/11/10 2:15PM ET