Quantifying Hope: Cubs Fall to 0% Playoff Odds as Brewers Near Lock Status

You’re probably not betting on the Cubs this season and you won’t be able to patronize the massive sportsbook planned for the corner of Addison and Sheffield until late 2022, but that’s not stopping me from talking playoff odds. And if it’s not stopping you from laying a few wagers, particularly on some more enticing options than Chicago’s North Side Baseball Club, SportsBettingDime.com has bonuses for Illinois-based bettors throughout the MLB season.

Remember a few weeks ago when I wrote that the Brewers were pulling away and people got mad at me for being an idiot because the Cubs were tied with Milwaukee atop the standings? While I may still be an idiot, I was basing things on playoff odds that have skewed in opposite directions since about mid-June. The Brewers have raced to a 95.9% chance at the postseason while the Cubs now share their 0% chance with the Pirates.

If it makes you feel any better, the Cardinals are only at 1.4% right now and the Reds should be falling off here soon. Not that moral victories matter much in the face of the abject failure this season became after a hot May that saw the Cubs talking about being buyers. Can you imagine if they’d managed to not poop the bed in June and then avoided that 11-game skid mark?

Thing is, they’d probably still have sold given the way the Brewers are playing behind a group of starters performing at a very high level. Not only are they running away with the NL Central, but they could make some legit noise in the playoffs if those pitchers stay hot. That’s something the Cubs never had, even if Kyle Hendricks and Zach Davies are on point.

As such, Kris Bryant is helping the Giants to big comebacks, Anthony Rizzo is setting records for the Yankees, and Javier Baez is conjuring his unique brand of magic in Queens. I’m not crying, you’re crying. Does it feel like just yesterday or several years ago that those guys were still with the Cubs?

Now it’s all about the future, whether it’s Manny Rodríguez closing games or Justin Steele starting them, prospects are drawing all the attention. Whether the Cubs will be any good next year is still anyone’s guess, but I’d gladly bet on some of the young talent coming up through the system.