2022 MLB National League Central Futures Odds and Picks

This may be the weakest division in baseball. So it would stand to reason that if you’ve got some good arms, you’ve an appreciable edge. In that regard, the Milwaukee Brewers appear to stand out in this field, at least if they can get anything similar from their starting rotation to what they had in 2021. But you know that the St. Louis Cardinals always seem to put something together to compete. We’ll see if a first-year manager can push them over the top.

MLB Sportsbooks

Let’s take a look at each team in the National League Central (listed in alphabetical order):

Chicago Cubs Team Preview 2022

Chicago Cubs Team Page

To Win Division: +1100

To Win NL Pennant: +5500

To Win World Series: +10000

You know, the Cubbies have plenty of money. Yet they kind of bailed out last year, trading away the likes of Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant. This season the lineup will look a little different, and we’ll get a real shot in the arm if Seiya Suzuki can adapt to major league pitching right away. Suzuki had a .315 average in Japan over nine seasons, hit 38 homers last year, has some speed and a rocket arm. They have made a couple of interesting additions to the starting rotation, reaching out for Marcus Stroman (3.02 ERA with the Mets) and Wade Miley (3.37 ERA with Cincinnati) to team up with Kyle Hendricks. Unfortunately, they haven’t really done enough to contend with the top two teams in this division.

MLB Betting Lines

Cincinnati Reds Team Preview 2022

Cincinnati Reds Team Page

To Win Division: +1400

To Win NL Pennant: +4000

To Win World Series: +8000

Cincinnati suffered heavy player losses in the offseason. They traded All-Stars Jesse Winker and Eugenia Suarez, and lost Nick Castellanos to free agency. Those guys hit 89 home runs between them. Also gone is top starting pitcher Sonny Gray. This was all subtracted from a team that won 83 games last season. As it stands now, starting pitchers Luis Castillo and Mike Minor will start the campaign on the injured list. There are still some standouts in the lineup; second baseman Jonathan India hit 21 homers with a .376 OBA as a rookie. And we are on Hall of Fame watch for Joey Votto, the seven-time leader in on-base average who hit 36 homers in 2021.

Milwaukee Brewers Team Preview 2022

Milwaukee Brewers Team Page

To Win Division: -180

To Win NL Pennant: +650

To Win World Series: +1400

The Brewers are hoping for a comeback season from Christian Yelich, the former MVP who hit just .248 with nine homers in 399 at-bats last season. Maybe there isn’t all the explosiveness in the world in this starting lineup. But the Brew Crew had an awesome starting rotation last season. They were second in the majors in ERA, first in Fielding Independent Pitching, and featured Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, who had a 2.43 ERA and 1.63 FIP, which was other-worldly. Brandon Woodruff (2.56 ERA) and Freddy Peralta (2.81 ERA) might be the best trio in baseball. Well, at least they were all of that last season (well, the Dodgers might argue). Can they duplicate that kind of effort, or come close to it? They’ve got backup: closer Josh Hader brings a heat wave, with 102 strikeouts in 58-2/3 innings last season. He heads up a bullpen that begins the season with ten members, as manager Craig Counsell seeks to riddle opponents with pitching.

MLB Predictions

Pittsburgh Pirates Team Preview 2022

Pittsburgh Pirates Team Page

To Win Division: +3500

To Win NL Pennant: +15000

To Win World Series: +30000

The Pirates have gone 70-142 over the last two seasons, and they seem to be forever in rebuilding mode. They also suffer from a power shortage, as their 124 home runs last season trailed everybody. You have to wonder whether Brian Reynolds, their talented center fielder who made the All-Star team last year, is going to be trade bait by the time the deadline rolls around. Pittsburgh has plenty of prospects in the minor leagues, and one who will begin the season there but will be up soon enough is Oneil Cruz, a shortstop who is 6’7″ and has been, for the time being, sent down to Triple-A Indianapolis for “development.” Prior to that, he was one of the favorites to be Rookie of the Year.

St. Louis Cardinals Team Preview 2022

St. Louis Cardinals Team Page

To Win Division: +230

To Win NL Pennant: +1400

To Win World Series: +2500

There is a bit of uncertainty on the pitching staff in St. Louis. They would like for Alex Reyes to be the closer; he had ten wins and 29 saves last season. But he’ll be on the shelf with a shoulder injury until early June. Jack Flaherty, the #2 starter, also has shoulder issues, and he’ll start the season on the injured list. Left-hander Steven Matz emerged with 14 wins in Toronto last season. And the guy to watch is the very talented Dakota Hudson, who missed most of the 2020 and 2021 seasons as a result of Tommy John surgery. There is some pretty decent power throughout this lineup, including veterans Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, who had 202 RBIs between them in 2021. There are five Gold Glove winners on the field at any given time. That, of course, includes catcher Yadier Molina, who looks headed to Cooperstown. Speaking of the Hall of Fame, Albert Pujols is back in town. Seven or eight years ago, that would have been better news. New manager Oliver Marmol it’s one of those organization men who has paid his dues and gotten himself elevated to the top spot. We expect that kind of continuity to pay some dividends in this division.