Feb. 17--The big offseason moves made by the Cubs and White Sox haven't gone unnoticed by the betting public.
According to the latest odds from Bovada.lv, the Cubs are a 6-1 pick to win the National League pennant (trailing only the Nationals at 13-4 and the Dodgers at 19-4) and a 10-1 choice to win their first World Series title since 1908. This despite the fact the Cubs haven't even made the playoffs since 2008, finished 73-89 and last in the NL Central in 2014 and have an over/under win total for 2015 of 81 1/2, according to Steve Mikkelson of the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa sportsbook in Reno, Nev.
"They just have blind passion," Mikkelson told Jason Logan of Covers.com, referring to Cubs fans. "I grew up in Illinois and it's amazing the blind optimism Cubs fans have every year. They made some good moves and they have a lot of talent but they're relying on a lot of kids to win and that's really tough to do for a whole season."
Meanwhile, the White Sox are a 7-1 choice by Bovada to win the American League pennant, trailing only the Red Sox and Angels (both 11-2). The White Sox's odds of winning the World Series are 16-1. Their over/under win total for 2015 was set by Mikkelson at 82.
