The National League Central Division is not expected to be strong, but it will be competitive. Here is a look at the projected win totals for each team in the division.
The National League Central Division race should be interesting to follow this season, especially after the Trade Deadline. Most teams in this division did not spend any money this offseason, and it’s hard to imagine many being buyer’s this year.
There is one clear favorite to win the NL Central, and then things get a bit jumbled up from that point on. There could always be some surprises throughout the year, and win totals will be adjusted as the season moves along.
Here are the projected win totals for all of the teams in the NL Central Division:
- Milwaukee 89.5
- St. Louis 84.5
- Chicago Cubs 75.5
- Cincinnati 74.5
- Pittsburgh 65.5
Brewers the Clear Favorite
The Milwaukee Brewers won the NL Central Division a season ago, and they are the clear betting favorites again in 2022. Milwaukee didn’t spend a ton of money this offseason, but they didn’t have many holes either.
The over/under for the Brewers is set at 89.5, and it’s hard to see them not winning at least 90 games. Someone in the NL Central has to win games, and Milwaukee is clearly the best team.
Take this over as Milwaukee might win the most regular-season games in the National League.
Question Marks After Milwaukee
It’s hard to figure out how the rest of the season is going to play out in the NL Central as one team will emerge as a threat to the Brewers. St. Louis is expected to be the best among the rest, but that team has some holes as well.
The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds are tough teams to handicap, but the projected win totals are right next to each other. Both teams are good enough to make a run at the division title, but each will become sellers if things go South.
Chicago should actually have a better season than St. Louis, but it’s going to be tight. It’s best to take the over 75.5 wins for the Cubs and the under 84.5 wins for the Cardinals.
Cincinnati looks more ready to completely sell off and tank in the second half, and that is why you should take the under 74.5 wins.
Another Rough Year For Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates could be in for another long year as this franchise just continues to go through a long rebuild. Pittsburgh does have some young talent on the roster, but not nearly enough of it.
Pittsburgh has a projected win total of just 65.5, but it’s actually hard to see them getting to that number. The Pirates are going to be bad in the second half of the year, and they could be the worst team in baseball. Take the under 65.5 total wins for Pittsburgh.
