Current Ohio sports teams have won 12 championships in the major pro sports. Who will win lucky No. 13?

There are legitimate options across the board. With two NFL teams, two in MLB and one each in the NBA and NHL, the Buckeye State has someone to root for in every major season. 

Bookies.com oddsmaker Adam Thompson has revealed his odds as to which Ohio team in the four major U.S. sports has the best chance to win the next championship. 

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Next Ohio Pro Sports Championship Odds

This hypothetical betting market is for entertainment purposes only and does not reflect any market that may be available on betting sites and betting apps.

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Assessing NFL, NBA Contenders

The Cincinnati Bengals are the top team for several reasons. The Bengals surprised many by qualifying for the AFC Playoffs last season. They kept winning until taking the AFC Championship from Kansas City before falling in the Super Bowl to the LA Rams. 

The Bengals have a young corps of stars, led by QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja’Marr Chase, and should be competitive for at least the next several seasons. Cincinnati is 8-4 and poised to make the postseason again this season. 

The Cleveland Browns aren’t likely to win the Super Bowl this season. They’re just 5-7 and two games out of the playoff race with five games to go. But the expectations were high for this team, which is built to win now. QB Deshaun Watson just returned from suspension. Expect Cleveland to start next season as one of the top 10 teams on NFL Futures boards. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t been to the NBA Playoffs since LeBron James left town after the 2017-18 season. But 2022-23 looks to be the start of a long-term turnaround. The team added All-Star Donovan Mitchell to a young base that went 44-38 last season. 

As of Dec. 6, the Cavs are 15-9 and in third place in the Eastern Conference behind only the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. That said, stars and star-laden teams win NBA titles more than any other sport. The Cavs are close, but how close? 

What About MLB or NHL?

The Cleveland Guardians went 92-70 and advanced to the American League Divisional Series before falling in five games to the New York Yankees. It was the fifth postseason berth in seven seasons for the Guardians, which includes four AL Central division titles. 

So why aren’t the Guardians higher? In a league with no real salary cap, Cleveland ranked 27th in payroll, shelling out $32 million less in players than any other team that made the playoffs, and $90 million less than the 9th-lowest-spending postseason team. They’ve had a good run, but it’s hard to sustain success without shelling out double the capital. 

The Cincinnati Reds spent nearly double the Guardians but had little to show for it in 2022, going 62-100. They’ve been to the postseason just three times in the last 25 years and haven’t won a playoff series since 1995, or even finished in the upper half of the NL Central in a decade. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets have missed the NHL Playoffs the last two seasons, this after qualifying four times in a row. They’re currently sitting dead-last in the Eastern Conference and aren’t in a great spot for a quick turnaround, even in a league notorious for wild playoff results. 

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