Certainly, St. Louis Cardinals are loaded offensively. Namely, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado are again anchoring a lineup with great versatility. Also, St. Louis has multiple young hitters on the rise vying for playing time. However, the big baseball betting odds question regarding St. Louis is starting pitching. Will a rotation of Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty, and Steven Matz be enough? The upside of that group is high, but so is the risk. Flaherty will be the X-factor as he enters a contract year looking to rebound from a pair of injury-plagued seasons.
2023 National League Central Division
| Date and Time: | Season Opens March 30, 2023 |
|---|
National League Central Division Odds at SBG
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| St. Louis Cardinals | -130 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +165 |
| Chicago Cubs | +600 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +3800 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +6000 |
Redbirds Set to Fly High at -130
Adam Wainwright re-signed with the Cardinals before he could file for free agency. Also, Nolan Arenado did as well. He chose not to exercise the opt-out in his contract. In turn, this news makes the club’s offseason look somewhat more action-packed. Otherwise, the Cardinals simultaneously provided for themselves.
Also, St. Louis denied the enemy when they signed Willson Contreras away from the Cubs. Nobody will accuse him of being capable of replacing Yadier Molina’s defense. However, his superior bat can make up for that.
St. Louis has come up short this winter in adding to a rotation with several durability-related question marks. It is true that their surplus of young hitters hypothetically leaves the door open for a trade. But it’s a disappointment and a source of looming online betting concern with the season.
Milwaukee Brewers +165
Last year the Milwaukee Brewers missed the National League playoffs for the first time since 2017. The big question heading into the 2023 season is simple. Does adding William Contreras and Jesse Winker to the middle of the lineup do enough to push the Brewers to the playoffs?
Still, Milwaukee has one of the best rotations in baseball. Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff lead the Crew. And a healthy season from Freddy Peralta would again give them a three-headed monster. But that has not been enough for them to make a title push. Of great concern is whether they have done enough to improve. Or is Milwaukee just the same good-not-great team we’ve seen the last several years.
At the onset of winter, the Brewers were destined to cut payroll. So, it should have surprised nobody when they traded Hunter Renfroe and Kolten Wong. Nor, for that matter, should it surprise anyone that the club’s free-agent expenses amount to just $4.5 million.
But gamblers must give credit where it’s due. The Brewers did get an All-Star hitter with club control through 2027. Specifically, Milwaukee scored Williams Contreras as part of the Sean Murphy trade. Jesse Winker is more of a wild card after a lost season in 2022. But he was previously an All-Star hitter in his own right in 2021.
It’s hard to make a case that the Brewers are any better now than where they ended 2022. Therefore, it’s likely to envision trades of Willy Adames, Corbin Burnes, or Brandon Woodruff soon.
NL Central Division Championship SBG Free Picks
As mentioned earlier, the Cardinals have a better core to succeed with the MLB odds than Milwaukee.
NL Central Division Championship SBG Best Bet: St. Louis Cardinals.