The National League Central is in an interesting place this Major League Baseball season, as there does not appear to be one spectacular team in the division. But someone will do enough to win this division, as at least one team will represent the NL Central in the postseason this year. Here, we look at the NL Central futures market and where each team is in the hierarchy this year.
2025 NL Central Futures Betting Odds
| Team | NL Central Odds |
|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs | +100 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +260 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +450 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +1000 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +1100 |
Chicago Cubs: Can They Live Up to the Hype?
The Chicago Cubs finished in a tie for second place in the NL Central last season, 10 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers. This year, the Cubs are the early favorite in this division for the second year in a row. If the Cubs want to follow through and win this division this time around, they are going to need to find a way to win more consistently on the road after having a losing record away from Wrigley Field in 2024.
Milwaukee Brewers: Aiming to Repeat
The Milwaukee Brewers have won the NL Central two seasons in a row, getting the job done in 2023 and 2024. This season, the Brewers enter the year at a plus price to win the Central as they seek a division three-peat. Even if the Brewers do find a way to win this division again, there will understandably be questions about whether or not they can be more of a threat in the playoffs than they have been.
Cincinnati Reds: Young and Dangerous
Cincinnati struggled to put runs on the board last season, failing to reach 700 runs scored as a team in 2024. That resulted in the Reds finishing in fourth place in last year’s NL Central standings. This season, it will be interesting to see how the Reds perform offensively, as Elly De La Cruz is expected to contend for the NL MVP award, though losing Ty France and Jonathan India could hurt them.
Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals: NL Central Longshots
The Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals are in the bottom-two positions in the NL Central odds board for this season. The Pirates have a prolific young starter in Paul Skenes to help them, but the rest of their pitching staff is expected to be mediocre at best. Pittsburgh not being the clear worst team in this division is a step in the right direction, though, no matter what happens in the 2025 season.
Meanwhile, St. Louis appears to be lacking direction at this point in time. They lost Paul Goldschmidt to the Yankees, which is undoubtedly going to hurt them offensively. After finishing in the bottom-five in runs scored in the National League in 2024, the Cardinals could be in for a long year at the plate without Goldschmidt to bail them out.
