A string of deals before the trade deadline by the Cubs didn’t convince odds makers they’re in a better spot to win the World Series than several months ago. Despite adding Nick Castellanos, Derek Holland and others before the buzzer, the Cubs’ odds of winning it all this year fell to 13/1 as of Wednesday, according to www.MyTopSportsBooks.com.
That’s a slight decrease from back in May, when the same odds makers listed the Cubs at 10/1 to be World Series champions.
The Cubs have the fifth-best odds of winning the title among the 30 big league teams, trailing the Dodgers (4/1), Astros (5/1), Yankees (6/1) and Braves (11/1). That’s a slight dip from in the spring when only three of those teams were ahead. Atlanta, which added relievers Shane Greene and Mark Melancon on Wednesday, passed the North Siders.
There’s more confidence in the Cubs’ ability to reach the postseason with 1/3 odds, third-best in the National League. The Dodgers (1/1,000) are practically a lock at this point, while the Cardinals (10/9) and Brewers (3/2) are fifth and sixth, respectively, among NL teams.
In the American League, the Astros have passed the Yankees as AL favorites after adding Zack Greinke and Aaron Sanchez on Wednesday. They now boast a fierce 1-2-3 with Greinke, Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole leading their rotation. The White Sox, meanwhile, aren’t even listed among the 23 teams with World Series odds, which tells you enough.
