Hobbit2 - Chapter 12 - Inside Information

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Rune Son of Bjarne

I am not claiming that Bilbo is not an asset to the dwarves, it is well established that they wouldn't have made it to Erebor without him. Smaug is definitely pussled by the smell of Hobbit (and taste?), but surely this was not the reason Bilbo was brought along? Maybe it was part of Gandalf's reason for choosing Bilbo, but I doubt that Thorin looked that far ahead.

If I remember the UT correctly, Gandalf tells Thorin that the latter would get no help from him unless he took Bilbo along. So the Dwarves did not really have a choice.