Cubs Odds Lengthen to Third in Division

With the start of the season keeping me busy, I did not immediately report on the April report from oddsmaker bovada.lv. I wish I had as there is some noteworthy change in the National League Central Division outlook, reflecting bettors’ actions heading out of the spring training and into the regular season.

In the NL Central, the big news is that a little more of the bloom is off the rose of the Chicago Cubs, who were the division favorite back in December. Chicago is now 3/1 to win the division, only third-best.

The St. Louis Cardinals improved their odds to take the division’s top spot to 13/10 while the Pittsburgh Pirates jumped over the Cubs, now at 12/5 to take the NLC.

Interestingly, the World Series money is still more on the Cubs at 16/1, compared to the Bucs at 25/1. The Cardinals remain at the same 12/1 as they were last month.

St. Louis’ odds of winning the NL pennant are also flat at 6/1, with the Cubs next at 7/1 and Pirates at 14/1.

The Washington Nationals remain at the top of MLB with the Nats having shortened their odds of winning it all to 6/1.  The Boston Red Sox remain at the top of the AL, but third overall (after the Nats and Dodgers) at 10/1 to win the World Series, yet the Mariners now show the same 11/2 odds of winning the AL pennant.

NL Central clubs in bold.

Odds to win 2015 World Series as of 10/30/14 12/15/14 3/4/15 4/1/15
Washington Nationals 10/1 15/2 7/1 6/1
Los Angeles Dodgers 15/2 15/2 17/2 17/2
Boston Red Sox 22/1 9/1 10/1 10/1
Seattle Mariners 18/1 14/1 16/1 12/1
St. Louis Cardinals 12/1 14/1 12/1 12/1
Los Angeles Angels 10/1 12/1 14/1 14/1
Chicago Cubs 50/1 12/1 14/1 16/1
Chicago White Sox 40/1 28/1 16/1 16/1
Detroit Tigers 10/1 12/1 16/1 16/1
San Diego Padres 66/1 40/1 14/1 18/1
San Francisco Giants 12/1 14/1 14/1 18/1
Cleveland Indians 25/1 33/1 20/1 20/1
Toronto Blue Jays 33/1 18/1 25/1 25/1
Oakland Athletics 20/1 40/1 28/1 25/1
Pittsburgh Pirates 20/1 33/1 28/1 25/1
Kansas City Royals 16/1 20/1 28/1 33/1
New York Mets 40/1 25/1 28/1 33/1
Baltimore Orioles 20/1 18/1 33/1 33/1
Miami Marlins 50/1 33/1 33/1 33/1
New York Yankees 22/1 25/1 33/1 33/1
Houston Astros 100/1 150/1 50/1 50/1
Milwaukee Brewers 40/1 40/1 50/1 50/1
Texas Rangers 33/1 40/1 50/1 50/1
Cincinnati Reds 33/1 40/1 66/1 50/1
Atlanta Braves 22/1 28/1 66/1 66/1
Tampa Bay Rays 33/1 66/1 66/1 66/1
Arizona Diamondbacks 100/1 75/1 100/1 100/1
Minnesota Twins 100/1 150/1 100/1 100/1
Colorado Rockies 100/1 100/1 150/1 100/1
Philadelphia Phillies 75/1 150/1 150/1 150/1

Following are League title odds.

Odds to win AL Championship 3/4/15 4/1/15
Odds to win NL Championship 3/4/15 4/1/15
Boston Red Sox 11/2 11/2 Washington Nationals 3/1 3/1
Seattle Mariners 7/1 11/2 Los Angeles Dodgers 9/2 9/2
Los Angeles Angels 6/1 13/2 St. Louis Cardinals 6/1 6/1
Chicago White Sox 15/2 15/2 Chicago Cubs 15/2 7/1
Detroit Tigers 8/1 8/1 San Diego Padres 15/2 7/1
Cleveland Indians 9/1 9/1 San Francisco Giants 8/1 8/1
Toronto Blue Jays 10/1 12/1 New York Mets 14/1 14/1
Oakland Athletics 12/1 12/1 Pittsburgh Pirates 14/1 14/1
Baltimore Orioles 14/1 14/1 Miami Marlins 16/1 16/1
Kansas City Royals 14/1 14/1 Atlanta Braves 28/1 28/1
New York Yankees 14/1 14/1 Cincinnati Reds 28/1 28/1
Texas Rangers 22/1 22/1 Milwaukee Brewers 33/1 33/1
Houston Astros 28/1 28/1 Arizona Diamondbacks 50/1 50/1
Tampa Bay Rays 28/1 28/1 Colorado Rockies 75/1 50/1
Minnesota Twins 50/1 50/1 Philadelphia Phillies 75/1 75/1

Next are the six division chases.

Odds to Win AL East 3/4/15 4/1/15
Odds to Win AL Central 3/4/15 4/1/15
Odds to Win AL West 3/4/15 4/1/15
Boston Red Sox 2/1 2/1 Detroit Tigers 9/4 11/5 Seattle Mariners 8/5 5/4
Baltimore Orioles 7/2 3/1 Chicago White Sox 9/4 12/5 Los Angeles Angels 8/5 9/5
Toronto Blue Jays 11/4 3/1 Cleveland Indians 11/5 12/5 Oakland Athletics 9/2 4/1
New York Yankees 9/2 9/2 Kansas City Royals 9/2 9/2 Texas Rangers 7/1 12/1
Tampa Bay Rays 7/1 7/1 Minnesota Twins 18/1 18/1 Houston Astros 16/1 01,Dec
Odds to Win NL East 3/4/15 4/1/15
Odds to Win NL Central 3/4/15 4/1/15
Odds to Win NL West 3/4/15 4/1/15
Washington Nationals 1/3 1/4 St. Louis Cardinals 5/4 13/10 Los Angeles Dodgers 1/2 1/2
New York Mets 5/1 6/1 Pittsburgh Pirates 11/4 12/5 San Diego Padres 7/2 7/2
Miami Marlins 6/1 6/1 Chicago Cubs 5/2 3/1 San Francisco Giants 7/2 5/1
Atlanta Braves 16/1 25/1 Milwaukee Brewers 12/1 10/1 Colorado Rockies 50/1 18/1
Philadelphia Phillies 50/1 50/1 Cincinnati Reds 12/1 12/1 Arizona Diamondbacks 33/1 20/1

As the season continues, the 2015 odds will shift and shift again. I will present periodic updates as warranted.

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