After Vegas oddsmakers placed the Cubs’ over/under for wins this season at 89, folks at USA Today should be running to the betting windows.
The publication released its 2016 MLB predictions on Monday, and projects Chicago’s Northside club to finish with an MLB-high 101 wins and claim its first division title since 2008.
Via USA Today:
We see a bullpen well-equipped to deal with back-end rotation shortcomings, and when they add one more starter in July, see you later. That’s not to say the Cardinals (97 wins) should pack it in. Absurdly deep, they will platoon and pitch almost everybody into submission – and hope things go differently at Wrigley Field in October.
The Cubs haven’t faced expectations this high in a long time – perhaps ever – and with spring training just days away, the Cubs look, on paper, poised for their best season in years.
Chicago is coming off a 97-win season and a spectacular offseason, which included the additions of Jason Heyward, John Lackey and Ben Zobrist. But the Cubs haven’t won 100 games during the regular season since 1935 – which explains why Vegas sportsbooks are tempering their expectations.
USA Today has Chicago besting the Cardinals by four games in the division with Washington and San Francisco claiming the NL East and West, respectively.
In the AL, the White Sox were picked to finish with the best record in the league.
