At the onset of the season, the Chicago Cubs were a popular pick on the future market board. The reason was the hiring of Craig Counsell as manager. Counsell defected from the Milwaukee Brewers. Consider the Brewers were his hometown team, who he led to the playoffs for the fifth time in six years in 2023. Counsell was touted as the final piece of the baseball betting odds playoff puzzle for the Cubs. Last year, Chicago flirted with a wild card playoff spot in the National League playoffs.
2024 Chicago Cubs
| Chicago Cubs World Series Championship Odds | +10000 |
|---|---|
| Cubs NL Pennant Odds | +5000 |
| NL Central Division Odds | +1800 |
| Win Total: | 80.5 |
2024 Cubs All-Star Break Overview
At the onset of the All-Star break, the Chicago Cubs had a record of 45-49 and were 5th in the National League Central Division. Offensively, Chicago ranked 18th for runs scored, 23rd for batting average, 20th for OPS, 24th for home runs, and 9th for stolen bases. In turn, defensively, Chicago ranked 11th for earned run average, 12th for WHIP, 23rd for strikeouts, 11th for quality starts, 18th for fewest errors, and 16th for bullpen ERA. Chicago was -561 on the moneyline and -1356 on the run line.
At the All-Star break, the Cubs were fighting with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds to avoid the cellar of the National League Central. Of major concern was how the Cubs were drowning MLB odds gamblers in red ink.
2024 Cubs Manager
Craig Counsell shocked the baseball world by leaving his hometown team, the Milwaukee Brewers, for their hated arch-rival Chicago Cubs. Counsell put Milwaukee in the playoffs five of the past six seasons with three NL Central Division titles. So far this season, Counsell has not cracked the online betting code.
2024 Chicago Cubs Key Players
LHP Justin Steele is the Cubs’ number one starter. Steele is coming off a phenomenal 2023 campaign. Steele was 16-5 with a 3.06 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. As a result of his performance, Stele was a National League All-Star. So far this season Steele is 2-3 with a 2.71 ERA. In 2023, LF Ian Happ produced 86 runs, 325 doubles, 21 home runs, 84 RBI, and a .791 OPS. Happ was a 2022 NL All-Star. So far this season, Happ has 50 runs, 14 home runs, 56 RBI, and a .802 OPS.
For the past three seasons the unfortunate David Ross made methodical progress as manager of the Chicago Cubs. Unfortunately, he did not move the needle fast enough. Last year, Ross put the Cubs in playoff contention, falling just short of the Miami Marlins for wild card playoff position. Ross was looking to return to the Cubs for 2024.
Still, when Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell became available, Chicago could not resist hiring the man considered to be the best manager in baseball. Although Counsell’s arrival generated excitement, future market action remains restrained on the Cubs.
Last season, the Chicago Cubs failed to deliver gambling value despite making a run at a playoff spot and emerging as a surprise team in the National League. Chicago was a classic example of a team that remains too popular and thus expensive at the betting window. The fact the Cubs made a tiny profit on the run line exemplifies the issue.