In 2019, the NL Central was a tight race, with the Cardinals, Brewers and Cubs all battling for the crown. Chicago fell off late to leave St. Louis and Milwaukee fighting it out before the Cardinals inevitably claimed the title. With all three expected to contend again and the Reds hoping to jump into the fray after an active offseason in which they signed Nick Castellanos, Mike Moustakas and Japanese star Shogo Akiyama to bolster their lineup, the 2020 NL Central race should be similarly competitive, and the 2020 NL Central odds reflect that.
The Cubs and Reds are tied as +200 favorites (risk $100 to win $200). Meanwhile, the Cardinals are at +240, the Brewers are at +550, and the Pirates are true long shots at +30000 in the latest 2020 MLB odds. But before you make your 2020 MLB picks on who wins every division, be sure to check out the 2020 NL Central predictions and best bets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times, and anyone who followed it last season saw huge returns. The model went 370-291 on its top-rated money line and run-line picks, returning more than $1,400 to $100 bettors.
Moreover, the model went a stunning 14-5 on its strongest MLB win total picks and went 4-1 on its five best MLB over-under bets. Now, the model has crunched the numbers on the upcoming season and released its MLB picks to win the NL Central in 2020. You can only see them at SportsLine.
The model’s top 2020 NL Central picks
The model says the Reds are dramatically overvalued at +200 in the latest 2020 NL Central odds and win the division in just 18.2 percent of simulations.
Cincinnati made a strong jump from 67 wins in 2018 to 75 in 2019 and made serious investments during the offseason. The Reds signed Moustakas to a four-year, $64 million deal and gave a matching contract to former Cubs and Tigers outfielder Nick Castellanos. They also inked Akiyama to a three-year deal worth $21 million.
However, the Reds did very little to improve a bullpen that finished eighth-worst in the MLB in inherited runners scoring percentage (34) and had a collective ERA of 4.28. They also took a gamble on Wade Miley, whose FIP of 4.51 last season with the Astros was more than a half-run worse than his 3.98 ERA indicated. If Miley doesn’t pan out, they might not have the starting rotation depth needed behind Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray and Trevor Bauer to compete in what looks like it might be the most tightly-contested division in baseball.
How to make MLB divisional picks on 2020 NL Central odds
The model also says one team has a win probability that dramatically exceeds its implied odds. So before you scan the 2020 NL Central odds and make your 2020 MLB divisional picks, be sure to see it here.
Which team is the best value in 2020 NL Central futures? And what does the model say about the 2020 MLB divisional odds of every team in the NL Central? Visit SportsLine right now to see projected win totals, divisional odds, and playoff odds for every team in the NL Central all from an uncanny computer model that crushed its MLB win total picks last year.
2020 NL Central odds
Cubs +200
Reds +200
Cardinals +240
Brewers +550
Pirates +30000
