A popular sports radio discussion topic in Chicago these days is \u201cWhich team will win a title next?\u201d I say sports radio because they have to find something to talk about to fill the time. In real life, people might just say, \u201cNo one, dummy,\u201d and move on to more uplifting topics, such as real estate taxes and politics.<\/p>\n
As you might\u2019ve noticed, the state of Chicago sports hasn\u2019t been great lately. The local sports teams are coming off the worst year in modern history<\/a>, highlighted by a record-setting 121-loss White Sox season and a Bears team that lost 10 in a row.<\/p>\n Chicago\u2019s identity has never quite been \u201cthe city of champions,\u201d but the last few years have really tested the patience and the sanity of the fans. There\u2019s only so much Matt Eberflus and Jerry Reinsdorf one can take.<\/p>\n But 2025 is off to a promising start, well, at least for two teams.<\/p>\n As of this writing, the Cubs are in first place in their division and have the best record in the National League. They\u2019ve got the power and the speed, though the pitching might need an upgrade before the trade deadline. Still, this is a legitimate team that should win 95-plus games. As a bonus, using a set of recent data, Neil Paine recently suggested the Cubs are one of five teams<\/a> that should \u2014 in theory \u2014 win the World Series this year.<\/p>\n The Bears finally (or seemingly, I suppose) made a good coaching hire by landing former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. While hope usually springs eternal before training camp annually for Bears fans, it\u2019s certainly possible this is a budding playoff team.<\/p>\n As for the remaining teams\u2026<\/p>\n Though still in last place in the American League, the White Sox are hanging their collective hats on being less embarrassing. There\u2019s reason for muted optimism, namely that some of the prospects acquired in recent trades have begun to show up and produce for the big-league team. And oh yeah, the Sox added a Pope<\/a> and a potential new controlling owner<\/a>. Also, the Rockies are threatening to make the 2024 White Sox team an afterthought outside of Chicago.<\/p>\n The Blackhawks have Connor Bedard and other young, talented hockey players, but haven\u2019t taken a step forward in terms of actually winning games, which is the preferred result of a rebuild.<\/p>\n The Bulls continue to strive for mediocracy. They just missed out on Cooper Flagg in this year\u2019s draft lottery and seemed destined to finish once again in ninth place in the East.<\/p>\n The Sky look positively White Sox-ish this season with its skewed results against good WNBA teams. Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso might really be the second coming of Jerry Krause\u2019s interesting, but ultimately ill-fated, Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry idea.<\/p>\n Which leads us back to our original question: Which Chicago team will win a championship next?<\/p>\n We found some odds for that.<\/p>\n For this exercise, The Athletic poked around and got some hypothetical numbers. Remember, odds are just a way to understand expectations and outcomes.<\/p>\n So if you wanted to put money on which local team (we\u2019re not including the MLS Fire or NWSL Stars in this exercise, nor do they deserve much consideration in it right now) wins a title next, what kind of odds could you get?<\/p>\n BetMGM\u2019s trading strategy manager, Hal Egeland, is bullish on the Cubs and puts them at -190 as the favorites. The Bears come in second at +220. After that, we\u2019re dealing in long shots with the Blackhawks (+2000), the Bulls (+2500) and the White Sox (+6600). (Disclaimer: BetMGM is the exclusive betting partner of The Athletic.)<\/p>\n \u201cThe Cubs edge out the Bears in (hypothetically) who will win the next Chicago championship,\u201d Egeland told The Athletic. \u201cPredicting future success is purely speculative, but the Cubs and Bears seem the most dedicated to remaining competitive at this point. The Cubs have a solid core, and it\u2019s hard to imagine, in my opinion, that they wouldn\u2019t sign Kyle Tucker after trading for him. The Bears have the No. 1 overall pick in quarterback Caleb Williams. We expect to see improvement from him and his new offensive line this season.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Bulls have pieces, but the NBA is reliant on having a star player, and until they get a top-of-the-line guy, they\u2019ll stay where they are. The White Sox are far away and will need development from prospects to become competitive again, giving them a longer timeline. The Blackhawks have Bedard but still have quite a lot of work to do before becoming Stanley Cup contenders.\u201d<\/p>\n DraftKings director of sports operations Johnny Avello didn\u2019t go as crazy with the underdog odds, but his order is exactly the same, with the Chicago Sky thrown in too.<\/p>\n Avello has the Cubs at +220, followed by the Sky at +350. Then come the Bears at +400, the Blackhawks at +600, Bulls at +1000 and the White Sox at +1500.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Cubs lead the pack, with a legitimate chance to contend for a title as soon as this season,\u201d Avello told The Athletic. \u201cWhile the Sky, Bears and Blackhawks may seem further from championship contention, each team is building toward a brighter future. The Bulls and White Sox are currently long shots, but it\u2019s worth remembering how unpredictable sports can be \u2014 team fortunes can turn quickly. That\u2019s why even the White Sox, coming off one of the worst seasons in MLB history, would still be listed at +1500.\u201d<\/p>\n The pecking order is pretty clear at the top, though I might juggle the bottom teams a little bit.<\/p>\n