Cubs can't be favored now because they are not a lock of the playoffs yet. But if they make the playoffs I definitely would expect them to be favored to win the NL and in a potential Yankees series I thik it would be close to a pk em with NYY maybe slightly favored. If they make the playoffs I'd say roughly +200 NL and +450 WS. At 50/50 to make the playoffs, +500 and +1000 is around fair value now.
I know of nobody that is giving you + 500 or + 1000 anymore. The Golden Nugget changed their odds from + 600 and + 1200 to + 400 and + 800 which I still think is a good wager. As to the Yankees rotation mentioned of Brown, Mussina and Vazques, I will take Prior, Wood, and Zambrano anyday with Clement thrown in for good measure.Mussina has sucked this year with an era of 5.20
the Yankees don't have a ace on that staff and that will be there downfall I believe.If Colon keeps up is resurgence I believe the Angels are the best team in AL. The Twins could make things interesting too. Santana hads been unbeatable.Cubs over Cards and Angels over Yanks,Cubs win Cubs win
Nicky, it absolutely will be difficult. It pretty much has to be when you're battling 3 or 4 teams for 1 spot. But an analyst has to say they think the Cubs will make it. Objectively speaking it's hard to look at the teams and not think that they have the best shot of the each of the individual teams. But I will say that I think it is actually easier than the road they travelled at this time last season when they trailed Houston by like 5 to 6 games and also trailed St. Louis. Cubs needed something like an 19-6 September run to get in. If they play September like they did last year, they get in with relative ease. But last year, Wood and Prior were just dominating the last two months of the season, Cubs need them to just pitch half that well this time around.
