It’s probably still a little too early in the season to be declaring any team as the best in baseball, but there are certainly a few who look to be a step or two ahead of the pack. If history has shown us anything, though, it’s that teams who look great in the first half of the season will often fall to pieces in the second half, which is when the pressure really starts to get piled on. The Chicago Cubs are among the betting lines favorites to represent the National League in the World Series this year, and it is definitely a label that has been well earned. The Cubs have looked nothing short of brilliant through the first few months of the season, as the young guys who excelled last year seem to have taken another step forward. This definitely looks like a team that could win it all, but that 162-game slog has taken down better teams than these guys. The Cubs will continue their series in New York versus the Mets with a Saturday night showdown.

Chicago Vs New York MLB Odds Preview & Game Pick

When: Saturday, July 2 at 7:15 PM EST Where: Citi Field, New York Starting Pitchers: Jake Arrieta Vs Bartolo Colon Radio: WSCR and WOR MLB Odds: TBA

Why bet on the Chicago Cubs

Barring some sort of major collapse, the Chicago Cubs (51-27) are going to head into the All-Star Break with a lead in the division that already looks unassailable. They are currently 11-games up on the chasing pack, and haven’t really shown any signs of slowing down. Yes, they lost the first game of this 4-game weekend series against the Mets, but with their ace set to take the mound, you really don’t get the sense that things could go really bad over the weekend. The Cubs have avoided long losing streaks all year, and have been a very solid 26-16 on the road so far. If you needed only one reason to bet on the Cubs in this one, Jake Arrieta (12-2, 2.10 ERA) would be it. He has been dealing all year, and he will be on the mound on Saturday.

Why bet on the New York Mets

Make no mistake about it, the New York Mets (41-37) needed that Thursday night win over the Cubs. They were heading down a slippery slope that had saw them lose 4-straight, and fall 6 games back of the Washington Nationals atop the NL East. While that was certainly a nice win, you get the sense that this team is still a little fragile, and that the rest of this series might not go so smoothly. Let’s not forget, though, that this is essentially the same group of guys who made it all the way to the World Series last year, so it would be unwise to count them out completely. Bartolo Colon (6-4, 2.86 ERA) will be on the hill for the Mets.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

I just find it tough to bet against the Cubs any time that Arrieta is starting, and this game is no different. It’s almost like a sure bet when he is the man with the ball in his hand.