Odds makers have pegged the St. Louis Cardinals the favorites to win the NL Central Division. The Cards, though, don’t appear to be that much better than the Milwaukee Brewers or maybe even the Chicago Cubs. Is St. Louis the team to back to take the NL Central this season?
Check out MLB lines and analysis to win the National League Central Division in the 2023 baseball season.
2023 MLB National League Central Predictions: Top Winner & Top Upset Plays
MLB Season Info | Updated MLB Odds
Duration: Thursday, Mar. 30 – Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023
Number of games: 162 games
Number of teams: 30 teams
Brewers’ Starting Rotation Analysis
It’s tough to determine how good St. Louis’ starting rotation is going to be because the Cardinals list Miles Mikolas as their ace. Jack Flaherty, who was the Cardinals’ ace before Mikolas jumped ahead of him, threw in just nine games last season.
While it’s difficult to know if the Cardinals’ rotation will be effective, we know for a fact that the Brewers’ starting rotation will rock. Former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes leads the rotation.
Burnes is one of MLB’s top strikeout artists. Corbin sent 243 batters to the dugout after a third strike last season. Not only that, but Burnes posted a 2.94 ERA and a .97 WHIP.
Brandon Woodruff, the second starter, struck out 190 batters. Woodruff’s ERA was 3.05. Third starter in the rotation Freddy Peralta had a 3.58 ERA. The Brewers’ rotation is solid.
Brewers’ Batting Lineup Analysis
Christian Yelich didn’t have a great season in 2022. Yelich, though, has a real shot of bouncing back in 2023.
Yelich is a lifetime .287 hitter. The .252 average he posted last season was an anomaly, not the norm.
Catcher William Contreras is as good as it gets. Willy Adames hit 31 homer last season. If Adames can raise his batting average, it was .231 in 2022, the Brew Crew have a shot to field the NL Central’s top offense.
MLB National League Central Top Pick: Brewers +158 | Bet Milwaukee Brewers To Win NL Central
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Season
Cubs’ Starting Rotation Analysis
It’s impossible to make the Pirates or the Reds the top underdog pick. Both teams should be out of postseason contention before the all-star break.
The Cubs, though, could surprise. Marcus Stroman, James Tallion, and Kyle Hendricks isn’t the same as Justin Verlander, Max Scherer, and Kodai Senga heading up your starting rotation, but it’s not bad.
Stroman is as consistent as they come. When Tallion has his best stuff, he can sit some good hitters. If the rotation gels, and if Hendricks bounces back with a better season, who knows? Maybe, the Cubs go back to winning games on the regular.
Cubs’ Batting Lineup Analysis
If the Cubs end up winning the NL Central over the Cardinals and Brewers, it will be because Cody Bellinger has the most amazing bounce back season in MLB history.
The former Dodger hit .305 with 47 home runs and 115 RBIs in 2019. But since then, Bellinger has been a disaster.
Last season, Cody batted .210 with 19 home runs and 68 RBIs. If Bellinger can get back to his dominant hitting ways, the Cubs will be an NL Central contender.
MLB National League Central Underdog Pick: Cubs +660 | Bet Chicago Cubs To Win NL Central
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Season
Predicting NL East Division Standings For The 2023 MLB Season | 2023 MLB Predictions
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