2023 NL Central Division Odds: No Team Expected To Reach 90 Wins

If Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred likes parity in his sport, he should look towards the National League Central as it has had a different winner three straight seasons and no repeat champion since 2017. The St. Louis Cardinals are the defending champs, while the Milwaukee Brewers won it in 2021 and the Chicago Cubs did in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.

However, the division hasn’t had a World Series champion since the Cubs broke their epic drought in 2016 and it looked like they might be starting a dynastic run. Alas, the Cubbies haven’t been back to the Fall Classic since.

That an NL Central team wins the 2023 World Series is +900, with only the AL Central having longer MLB betting odds. That the Central wins the NL pennant is a +400 long shot among the three divisions.

St. Louis is a -130 favorite at the top sports betting sites to repeat in the Central despite two future Hall of Famers retiring after last season in catcher Yadier Molina and first baseman/DH Albert Pujols. The Cards did fill Molina’s hole by signing Cubs All-Star free agent catcher Willson Contreras. Otherwise, the team was pretty quiet. Starting pitcher Adam Wainwright was convinced to put off retirement for one more year. The Cards are given the highest over-under win total in the division at 88.5.

Milwaukee finished second to the Cards last season and is a +175 second favorite in the Central with a wins total of 85.5. On Aug. 1 last year, the day the Brewers traded All-Star closer Josh Hader to the Padres, the Brewers were 57-45 and three games ahead of the Cardinals for first place in the NL Central, but then the wheels fell off. The Milwaukee front office has admitted that trade was a mistake because it caused issues in the clubhouse.

Chicago is +450 in the division as the Cubs attempt to rebuild on the fly. They were surprisingly competitive the second half of last season despite being in a full rebuild, and ownership did spend some money this offseason, led by Braves All-Star shortstop Dansby Swanson. He could be one of five new everyday lineup players in 2023. The Cubs have a wins total of 77.5.

Neither Cincinnati (+5000) nor Pittsburgh (+5000) spends much money to contend most years and nothing changed this offseason. The Pirates do have a terrific farm system, so they could surprise. The Bucs are the only team to never win the Central. Pittsburgh has a wins total of 66.5.

It might be the final season in the majors for 39-year-old Reds legend and former NL MVP Joey Votto, who is the fourth-best player in franchise history if you go by Baseball Reference WAR. Cincinnati has a wins total of 65.5.

How many teams make the playoffs out of the NL Central including wild card? One is the -140 favorite with two at +125. Four, the most possible, is +20000.