The Chicago Cubs continue to struggle vs. the baseball odds this season but they still get respect at sports betting companies. Gamblers love the Cubs and they are willing to take them even if the sports betting value is not there. That continues to be the case this season.
Sports betting companies still list the Cubs as favorites more often than they should. In a recent ten game stretch, the Cubs were favored in every game, yet they went 4-6. Chicago is simply a popular team with the public so they remain overvalued. Chicago is managed by Lou Piniella whose best days are behind him and they have a number of high priced stars who are underperforming. The Cubs are well below the .500 mark this season and that makes them a very bad bet in sports betting, especially since they are favored more often than not.
Chicago’s pitching has been reasonable as they are 10th in the league in ERA but their hitting is well below average. Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee are not getting the job done in the middle of the lineup and there is not a lot behind them. Ramirez was hitting just .168 while Lee was hitting just .234. The pitching has not been that bad even with Carlos Zambrano having a poor season. Zambrano has looked better of late though and getting him straightened out would really help. If not for Carlos Silva who is having a great season, the Cubs would be in a lot worse shape on the mound.
Chicago won 97 games just two years ago but last season they finished second in the division. This season the Cubs look poised for an even worse finish behind St. Louis and Cincinnati in the National League Central. Part of the problem for the Cubs is Piniella. He doesn’t have the team playing good defense and he doesn’t seem to have an idea of what to do with his lineup. The Cubs had given up 44 unearned runs this season which is second worst in the league. The Cubs are spending a ton of money on a bunch of players including Zambrano. They have millions invested in Zambrano, Ramirez, Lee, Alfonso Soriano, Marlon Byrd and Kosuke Fukudome.