It’s all about two teams when it comes to the National League Central race; Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals. The favorites coming in because of their very strong pitching, are the Brew Crew. Headlined by two Cy Young candidates (Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff), an All-Star No. 3 (Freddy Peralta) and a top prospect in Aaron Ashby, makes Milwaukee a tough team to score against.
The St. Louis Cardinals improved their rotation depth a bit by signing Steven Matz. That will be important because it’s unsure how much time ace Jack Flaherty will miss. The bullpen and defense are strong, while the lineup can score some runs. The Cardinals will give the Brewers a fight, but I think ultimately come up short.
NL Central Standings [2021]
| NL | CENTRAL | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Brewers | 95 | 67 | - |
 | Cardinals | 90 | 72 | 5 |
 | Reds | 83 | 79 | 12 |
 | Cubs | 71 | 91 | 24 |
 | Pirates | 61 | 101 | 34 |
Then you have the other three teams. The Cubs didn’t completely overhaul the roster and have some pieces that could give them a shot at a wild card. Seiya Suzuki will be fun to watch after coming over from Japan.
The Cincinnati Reds are overhauling and already got rid of the middle of their lineup, which was pretty good a year ago. Some of their starting pitching might be on the move also before the trade deadline. The Reds will still finish higher than the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have a top farm system, but the roster will look more like a Triple-A team.
Odds to Win NL Central:
Milwaukee Brewers -180
St Louis Cardinals +230
Chicago Cubs +1100
Cincinnati Reds +1400
Pittsburgh Pirates +3500
Season Win Totals:
Milwaukee Brewers 89.5
St Louis Cardinals 84.5
Chicago Cubs 74.5
Cincinnati Reds 73.5
Pittsburgh Pirates 64.5
Jay’s Season Win Total Best Bet: It seems like the Cardinals overachieve every season and this year should be no different. I think they have an underrated lineup and the bullpen will be their strong point. They have a shot at 90 wins.
Cardinals OVER 84.5
Jay’s Pick to Win Division: The Brewers’ pitching is just too dominant for this weak division. I don’t like laying almost 2/1 on a division winner, but this club is worth the risk.
Brewers -180
To see more odds and props for the NL Central, click here.
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