Enough of this constant chatter about a Cubs-White Sox World Series. Let's put our money where our mouth is, shall we? What are the odds on such a thing happening?
"You mean both of them?'' asked Stuart Doyle, wagering director of the online betting company World Wide Tele-Sports, when I reached him Wednesday in his office in Antigua. "In the same World Series?''
That's exactly what I mean, I said. Indulge my fantasy.
"I'd say 20-1,'' Doyle said, "or you can have 6-1 on either one of them making it.''
I'm guessing these odds are a bit lower than what I could have had at the start of the season, I said.
"We'd have given you 150-1 or 200-1 on a Cubs-White Sox Series,'' Doyle said. "That's as big as we go. I would have been very happy to have taken that bet at that time.''
Taking them one at a time, the Sox are rated as having a better chance than the Cubs to win the World Series. Doyle has them at 16-1 and the Cubs at 25-1. Those odds are in line with some I saw listed in Las Vegas on Wednesday -- the Sox at 15-1 and the Cubs at 20-1.
"There is a general feeling that the American League is stronger than the National League for the moment,'' Doyle said by way of explanation, "although 90 percent of our betting on the games themselves is based on the individual pitchers.''
While Chicago might be over the moon about its teams' chances, the oddsmakers don't seem to be convinced. The Yankees, Red Sox, Athletics and Mariners are listed as having a better chance of making the Series than the White Sox, while the Cubs trail the Braves, Giants and Cardinals.
Let the White Sox and Cubs make it, though, and Doyle expects to be seeing a ton of Chicago money. And which team would be favored? That would depend on whose fans were willing to do more than just talk about it.
"You mean both of them?'' asked Stuart Doyle, wagering director of the online betting company World Wide Tele-Sports, when I reached him Wednesday in his office in Antigua. "In the same World Series?''
That's exactly what I mean, I said. Indulge my fantasy.
"I'd say 20-1,'' Doyle said, "or you can have 6-1 on either one of them making it.''
I'm guessing these odds are a bit lower than what I could have had at the start of the season, I said.
"We'd have given you 150-1 or 200-1 on a Cubs-White Sox Series,'' Doyle said. "That's as big as we go. I would have been very happy to have taken that bet at that time.''
Taking them one at a time, the Sox are rated as having a better chance than the Cubs to win the World Series. Doyle has them at 16-1 and the Cubs at 25-1. Those odds are in line with some I saw listed in Las Vegas on Wednesday -- the Sox at 15-1 and the Cubs at 20-1.
"There is a general feeling that the American League is stronger than the National League for the moment,'' Doyle said by way of explanation, "although 90 percent of our betting on the games themselves is based on the individual pitchers.''
While Chicago might be over the moon about its teams' chances, the oddsmakers don't seem to be convinced. The Yankees, Red Sox, Athletics and Mariners are listed as having a better chance of making the Series than the White Sox, while the Cubs trail the Braves, Giants and Cardinals.
Let the White Sox and Cubs make it, though, and Doyle expects to be seeing a ton of Chicago money. And which team would be favored? That would depend on whose fans were willing to do more than just talk about it.
