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 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.
2024 NL Central Futures Betting Odds
Milwaukee Brewers: Smooth Sailing Again
The favorites to win the NL Central this season are the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brew Crew won this division a season ago and they are well on their way to doing it again in 2024. As the rest of the teams in this division are struggling to find consistency, the Brewers have the top run differential in the National League in 2024 and they have been dominating opponents at home, putting them at the front of this race.
Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals: Disappointing Campaigns
The St. Louis Cardinals were co-favorites to win this division alongside the Cubs before the 2024 season started. But they are well behind the Brewers and more or less out of the Wild Card race as well. The same can be said about the Cubs, who are hovering around the .500 mark for the season and hoping that they can finish strong while needing a lot of help in the form of losses from the other NL Wild Card contenders.
Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds: Falling Behind
The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds are in the bottom-two positions in the NL Central late in the regular season. The Pirates have a prolific young starter in Paul Skenes to help them, but the rest of their pitching staff has been 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 final months of the season.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati can take solace in the fact that their pitching staff was better this year than it was a season ago. But the Reds left a lot to be desired offensively in 2024, as their young lineup did not make the leap many had hoped they would. The expectations for the Reds are still low for now, as their nucleus is still relatively young. But 2025 will be a big year in the development of their franchise as currently constructed.
