Chicago Cubs Firmly In The Mix In N.L. Central Betting Splits at DraftKings Sportsbook

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the NL Central is anybody’s to win, including the Chicago Cubs. The 2020 MLB season is going to be unlike anything we’ve ever seen. The 60-game season is going to lead to tight races and tense rivalries in each division.

Illinois online sports betting fans are in luck. The state recently dropped in-person sign-ups for mobile betting. That means “Chicagoans” who feel confident in their Cubs to win the NL Central can sign up today. BetRivers Illinois recently launched an app, becoming the first sportsbook to do so in Illinois. DraftKings and FanDuel are expected to launch their own apps in Illinois in the very near future.

2020 NL Central Betting Splits

The Cubs currently sit at +250 to win the division and there is significant action on the North Siders. The Cubs account for just over one-third (34%) of all tickets placed on the NL Central and 22% of the total handle. By comparison, the odds-on favorite to win the division and reigning NL Central champions, the St. Louis Cardinals, are only bringing in 13% of bets and 11% of the handle.

The Cincinnati Reds are the trendy pick this year. Sitting at +300, the Reds are bringing in 42% of tickets and a whopping 58% of the total handle. Bettors are buying Cincinnati in a big way and it makes total sense given some of the team’s recent roster moves. The Reds signed Mike Moustakas and Nicholas Castellanos in the offseason. Prior to that, they acquired Trevor Bauer at the trade deadline. Not to mention, Cincinnati picked up Sonny Gray off the scrap heap before 2019 and he’s found his form as a legitimate Cy Young contender once again.

If you’re feeling wild, the Pirates are going off at +5000. It might be a better idea to do something else with that money. Donating, investing, or maybe even burning it would make sense. While there’s going to be a tense battle among the top four teams in the NL Central, the Pirates aren’t a threat at all.

2020 Chicago Cubs Futures & Player Props

DraftKings has plenty of team futures and player props for the Chicago Cubs too. Chicago is listed at +2200 odds to win the World Series and +1100 to win the National League.

The Cubs are mostly longshots in terms of player props. Javier Baez (+1800) or Kris Bryant (+2500) to win NL MVP seems like the safest plays for bettors. Baez finished No. 2 in MVP voting in 2018 and Bryant won the award back in 2016. In the shortened season, both players are capable of getting hot enough to carry the team to the postseason. That might be enough to win MVP honors.