A subject of discussion of popular sports radio in Chicago these days is “What team will win a title then?” I say the sports radio because they have to find something to say to fill the time. In real life, people could simply say: “No one, model” and go to more edifying subjects, such as real estate taxes and politics.
As you may have noticed, the state of chicago sports has not been excellent lately. Local sports teams stand out The worst year of modern historyDemonstrated by a record season of 121 Loss White Sox and a Bears team that lost 10 in a row.
Chicago’s identity has never been “the city of champions”, but in recent years have really tested the patience and mental health of fans. There is little Matt Eberflus and Jerry Reinsdorf that you can take.
But 2025 went promising, well, at least for two teams.
To date, Cubs are first in their division and have the best record in the National League. They have power and speed, although pitching may require an upgrade before the trade deadline. However, this is a legitimate team that should win more than 95 games. As a bonus, using a recent data set, Neil Paine recently suggested that Cubs are One of the five teams This should – in theory – win the World Series this year.
The Bears finally (or apparently, I suppose) made a good hiring of coaching by landing the former coordinator of the Lions offensive, Ben Johnson. While Hope generally gushes eternal before driving camp each year for Bears fans, it is certainly possible that it is a team of playoffs.
As for the remaining teams …
Although still in the last place in the American League, the White Sox hang their collective hats from being less embarrassing. There are reasons for silent optimism, namely that some of the perspectives acquired in recent professions have started to present themselves and produce for the Grande League team. And oh yeah, The Soxs added a pope and a New potential control owner. In addition, the Rockies threaten to make the White Sox 2024 team a reflection after the fact outside of Chicago.
The Blackhawks have Connor Bedard and other young talented hockey players, but have not taken a step in terms of actually won matches, which is the favorite result of a reconstruction.
Bulls continue to target mediocracy. They just missed Cooper Flagg in this year’s recovery lottery and seemed to end in the ninth place in the East again.
The sky looks positively white sox-ish this season with its biased results against the good WNBA teams. Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso could really be the second coming of Jerry Krause, but ultimately unhappy, Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry Idea.
Which brings us back to our initial question: what Chicago team will then win a championship?
We found a chance for this.
For this exercise, Athletics pushed and obtained hypothetical figures. Remember that chances are just a way to understand expectations and results.
So, if you wanted to put money on the local team (we do not include the stars of MLS Fire or NWSL in this exercise, and they do not deserve much consideration at the moment) wins a title then, what kind of dimensions could you get?
BETMGM’s trading strategy director Hal Egeland is optimistic about Cubs and puts them to -190 as favorites. The bears arrive in second position at +220. After that, we are dealing with long photos with the Blackhawks (+2000), the Bulls (+2500) and the White Sox (+6600). (Warning: BETMGM is the exclusive Paris partner Athletics.)
“The Cubs become the Bears (hypothetically) who will win the next Chicago championship,” said Egeland Athletics. “Proposing the future success is purely speculative, but the Cubs and the Bears seem the most devoted to remain competitive at this stage. Cubs have a solid nucleus, and it is difficult to imagine, in my opinion, that they would not sign Kyle Tucker after exchanging for him.
“The Bulls have pieces, but the NBA depends on the presence of a star player, and until they get a high -end guy, they will stay where they are. The White Sox are far away and will need prospects to become competitive again, which gives them a longer chronology. The Blackhawks have Bedard but still have a lot of work to do before becoming competitors of the Stanley Cup.”
The director of Draftking sports operations, Johnny Avello, has not become so crazy with the odds of the Outsiders, but his order is exactly the same, with the sky of Chicago too.
Avello has the cubs at +220, followed by the sky at +350. Then come the Bears to +400, the Blackhawks at +600, the bulls at +1000 and the White Sox at +1500.
“Cubs lead the peloton, with a legitimate chance of fighting a title this season,” said Avello Athletics. “While the sky, bears and blackhawks may seem further from the assertion of the championship, each team is built towards a brighter future. The Bulls and the White Sox are currently long, but it is advisable to how much unpredictable sports can be – the team’s fortune can run quickly. This is why even the White Sox, coming from one of the worst seasons of MLB, would always be listed at +1500. “
The hierarchical order is quite clear at the top, although I can juggle the lower teams a little.
Let’s say that I put my own shingle as a rating like my Steubenville native colleague, Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder, who started with a real office in our hometown With “B & F Commissioner” at the door. B&F represented baseball and football.
I will start with the Cubs -110 because they have in fact a chance to win this season. They have the sixth best rating on BETMGM on June 20 at +1300. I do not know if I share Egeland’s optimism about Cubs Signing Tucker, but I think that the “win-night mode” is there for the next five years and if President Tom Ricketts obtains his way in the next Labor Battle with the players, we could see even more restrictions on the best expenditure like the dodgers, the food and the Yankees, so evening for the owners Profilegagés.
Then I would go with the Bears to +400. If Williams can pilot Johnson’s offensive, they are a legitimate threat and the NFL is the only league where you can take a quick leap from also to a legitimate competitor. Johnson is the most accomplished assistant coach that the Bears have hired since Dave Wannstedt, and I think he will have a better race in Chicago. If Johnson can make GM Ryan posts seem smarter and Williams play better, they will talk about him in terms of Ditka in the city.
After that, it’s really a piece flip, right? I will go with Blackhawks +750 (at least they have a star in Bedard) then the White Sox +1200, the sky +1500 and the Bulls +2500.
Remember that this does not win a title in the future, this is the first of these six teams in Chicago to do so. Bulls and Sky have easier paths towards the playoffs, but winning a title seems almost impossible with their current lists and assets. The Bulls, for example, have the third current rating to win a title in 2026 currently in Draftkings, at +40000. Matas Buzelis is a handsome young player, but it is not an organization that is really serious to win everything. I do not receive many good vibrations in the sky, although I think Reese may be a figure of Joakim Noah for the franchise.
Finally, even if I would not invest exactly in future White Sox, I think they have a better chance of winning another than the Bulls or the sky at the moment. GM Chris Getz has done smart hits, and prospects seem promising. By time Justin Ishbia takes overThis city could still be in a title drought, and the SOXs could be ascending.
And hey, according to your belief system, they may well have God on their side. I could bet on it.
(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Top Photos: Matt Dirksen / Chicago Cubs, John Fisher / Getty Images, Bob Frid / Imagn Images)