Cubs will dominate regular season again, according to oddsmakers

In what has become the least surprising development since the Washington Nationals signed another Scott Boras client, the Chicago Cubs are once again expected to dominate the regular season. The Cubs are projected to win a league-high 95 1/2 games in 2017, according to Bovada.

That shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Cubs return with virtually the same team that propelled them to a league-best 103 regular season wins in 2016. Though they lost Dexter Fowler in free agency, the defending World Series champs are still considered the best team in the majors.

[Sign up for Yahoo Fantasy Baseball | 2017 Player Rankings]

While the Cubs are still considered the best team in the game, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians are right on their toes. All three clubs are projected to win at least 92 games in 2017.

None of that seems out of line. With that said, the fun of over/unders is identifying which teams look drastically overrated or underrated by the oddsmakers. With that in mind, here’s the full list of team win total projections, courtesy of Bovada.

Now that we’ve had a chance to look over the full list, here are some of our initial observations:

• It’s tough to argue with Bovada’s top-6 teams. The Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox, Indians, Nationals and Houston Astros are all strong contenders to make the playoffs, and will be popular picks to win the World Series.

• The New York Mets are projected for 88 1/2 wins in 2017. That seems fair. The team did win 87 games las season despite losing most of its rotation. But that also makes them risky heading into this season. The Mets could have the best rotation in baseball if everyone stays healthy, but four of their five projected starters are coming off surgery. Depending on pitching is always is scary, even if we think that’s a fair win projection.

• The biggest surprise near the top of the list might be the Seattle Mariners. At 85 1/2 wins, the Mariners are projected to be the ninth-best team in baseball. They would be the fourth-best team in the American League, meaning Bovada expects them to break their lengthy playoff drought. It’s worth noting that the Mariners won 86 games last year, so the projection isn’t that farfetched. Still, Seattle reaching the postseason seems significant, which is why we’re including it here.

• No one believes in the Baltimore Orioles. It seems like the club outperforms their projections each season. This year might be no different. Despite winning 89 games in 2016, Baltimore is projected for just 80 1/2 wins in 2017.

• Everyone’s favorite sleeper candidate, the Colorado Rockies, are also projected to win 80 1/2 games. Despite the Ian Desmond signing and the fact that the rotation has promise for the first time in forever, Bovada is hesitant to fully embrace a Rockies resurgence.

• The Minnesota Twins will need to improve by 15 games in order to hit their over. After winning 59 games in 2016, Minnesota is projected at 74 1/2 this season.

• The lowly San Diego Padres are projected to win a major-league worst 66 1/2 games. That shouldn’t come as a huge shock. Everyone knows the team will struggle this season.

What stands out to you? Which team have the oddsmakers drastically overrated? Which team are they sleeping on? Where are you laying down your gummy bears this year?

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

– – – – – – –

Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik