Illinois Sports Props - The Windy City's Best

Sports Proposition betting

Let's try some of these on for size:

1st team to win a championship:

• Blackhawks  3/2
• Cubs  3/1
• Bears  9/4
• White Sox  4/1
• Bulls  9/2
  
  

Is "none of the above" okay for this one? Seriously, out of these teams, it looks like the CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (3/2 at BetUS) are the team that is moving in the right direction the fastest, although because this thing is seasonal, the BEARS, at 9/4 or +225, will have the best chance, with the addition of Jay Cutler. Neither the Cubs or White Sox seem to be able to hit the ball well enough to qualify, and although we'd like to see the Bulls contend, it's going to take a year or two for them to catch up to Cleveland who just added Shaq or a Boston team that has Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rasheed Wallace (despite their thrilling playoff series).   

Team to finish with the best winning percentage:

• Blackhawks  3/2
• Cubs  7/1
• Bears  9/4
• White Sox  7/1
• Bulls  2/1
  
  

Here I would actually be willing to take a shot with the BULLS, at 2/1 in the BetUS odds. Despite loosing Ben Gordon, I believe that if a lot of things go right for them, they can finish with 50 wins. That is not a tremendous feat in the NBA, if you are a good team, and it looks as if the Bulls are headed in that direction. Of course, a .667 winning percentage eliminates the Cubs and White Sox, or really any baseball team. The Bears would have to go 11-5 to beat that, and thought I don't think that is outside the realm of possibility, they don't need too much to go wrong to finish 8-8 or something like that.

1st Manager/Coach to be fired:

• Joel Quenneville  3/1
• Lou Pinella  5/2
• Lovie Smith  4/1
• Ozzie Guillen  7/2
• Vinny Del Negro  3/2
  
  

This is a tough one. Piniella and Guillen are probably the guys with the most security. Piniella got the Cubs winning rather quickly, and Guillen has won a World Series in recent years. Where are the Cubs and White Sox going to do much better? Quenneville is relatively secure, and if the Bulls continue on the path they're going, I don't see Del Negro getting the ax, although coaches do have a way of coming and going in the NBA, especially those who don't have much of a track record. The guy I would play here is LOVIE SMITH (4/1 at BetUS), even though, as mentioned before, I would take the Bears in the "championship" prop. I say this because Smith now has a real quarterback at his disposal in Cutler, and has solved his problem at running back with Matt Forte, and it is up to him as to how to take advantage of that situation. If he bombs with Cutler because he can't find receivers, I see that as a firing offense. In other words, there are no excuses for him.

1st Manager/Coach of the Year award:

• Joel Quenneville  5/4
• Lou Pinella  7/4
• Lovie Smith  4/1
• Ozzie Guillen  9/2
• Vinny Del Negro  5/1
  
  

Well, Piniella and Guillen won't be winning anything this season, will they? If you made me pick one who had value, I would go with VINNY DEL NEGRO (5/1 at BetUS), because there is at least some upside in Windy City basketball, with the prospect of Derrick Rose only getting better in his second year. You saw how capable he was of taking over games at various times during the playoffs. If the Bulls wind up in the fourth position or higher in the East playoff rung, a coaching award is a very real possibility for Del Negro, who as we mentioned came into the job with no head coaching experience.