![]() ![]() But all those bettors and nervous Cubs fans weren't banking on a great regular season. The Cubs were expected to win it all and had a truly dominant regular season. It was a team with a couple of stars in the lineup and a fantastic starting rotation that added an elite closer in Aroldis Chapman before the trade deadline. 1 and +225 by the end of the regular season, according to OddsShark. The Cubs went 103-58, their most wins since 1910. There was truly never a moment during the 2016 season in which the Cubs winning the division and making the playoffs was ever in doubt. Their lead in the division was never less than 6.5 after May. They led the division by 8.5 games after winning on May 10. The Cubs started the season 8-1, and were 25-6 by mid-May and running away with the NL Central. When the story of the 2016 Cubs is retold - and it will be forever - it should also include that it was a fairly easy ride for those who bet them to (finally) win the World Series. ![]() In other words, the 2016 Cubs not only came into the season with a long history of failure to overcome, but also the expectations of being heavy favorites. Only one other team (the San Francisco Giants at +800) had odds shorter than 10-to-1. By the time the season started they were 5-to-1 (or 4-to-1 at some books). The Cubs opened with 11-to-1 odds to win the World Series, shortly after the 2015 season ended. Part of that was Cubs fans and their blind loyalty betting on them, pushing the odds down. The Cubs were huge favorites to win the 2016 World Series by the time that season started.
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