NFC North: Detroit Lions seeking first division title in 30 years
The Detroit Lions are the bettor's favorite to win the NFC North at +140, with the defending champion Minnesota Vikings not far behind at +290.
The NFC North is the closest game in the NFL with team odds between +140 and +400, according to DraftKings' division futures. The Green Bay Packers are the favorite to win the NFC North at +400, with the Chicago Bears not far behind at +380.
The Vikings won the division title in 2022, preventing the Packers from winning the NFC North for the fourth straight year.
The Bears last won the NFC North in 2018 and have only won the division twice since 2010. Over the past 12 years, the Packers have won the NFC North eight times, while the Vikings have won the division three times.
The Lions haven't won the NFC North since the NFL division change 20 years ago. The Lions last won a division title at the former NFC Center in 1993.
Detroit Lions: On the verge of winning NFC North Championship for the first time
- NFC North Odds: 140
- Super Bowl Odds: 2200
- 2022 Record: 9-8
- 2023 Win Total: 9.5 o/u
The Lions are coming off their first winning season in four years under head coach Dan Campbell. This was only the team's fifth successful season since 2000.
The Lions have clinched a berth in the 2022 playoffs and are now on a mission to win the division title and their first postseason game since the 1991 season.
The Lions are ultimately considered the better team in 2022. In Week 2 against the Washington Commanders, oddsmakers have the Lions as betting favorites for the first time in 24 games.
Betting on the Lions is a profitable investment in 2022. They were 12-5 last season and 23-11 ATS the past two seasons.
Last season, the Lions went 5-1 in conference play. The San Francisco 49ers are the only team in the NFC West with a better divisional record at 6-0.
The Lions were the fifth-highest scoring team in the NFL last season (26.6 points per game) with Jared Goff at quarterback. The Lions, on the other hand, had to win in a shootout due to poor defense.
Their defense allowed 427 points last season, tied for third-most in the NFL (25.1 ppg). They signed cornerback Cameron Sutton and defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to bolster their porous secondary. They also drafted linebacker Jack Campbell in the first round and safety Brian Branch in the second round.
On offense, the Lions selected Alabama's Jamere Gibbs with the 12th overall pick in the draft. As a rookie running back, Gibbs is expected to make a huge impact.
Minnesota Vikings: Was last year a coincidence?
- NFC North Odds: 290
- Super Bowl Odds: 3500
- 2022 Balance Sheet: 13-4
- 2023 Win Total: 8.5 o/u
The Vikings won the NFC title last season with a 13-4 record but had 11 games decided by eight points or less. The Vikings were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the New York Giants, which supports the theory that the Vikings' 13-win season was a lie. The Vikings of 2022 look more like a Potemkin army than a savage band of invading raiders.
The Vikings had an 8-1 home record last season, tied with the Dallas Cowboys and 49ers for the best home record in the NFL in 2022. They have eight home games in 2023 and could set a losing record at home.
Oddsmakers have the Vikings at 8.5 o/u overall due to a tough schedule. They host non-division home games against the Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints and 49ers. The Vikings will play the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals on the road.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins is currently in the final year of a restructured contract and is competing for another big contract. Cousins' strength is that he can throw deep passes to Justin Jefferson, who is considered the best receiver in the NFL.
The Vikings also used USC's first-round pick on Jordan Addison. Addison is considered one of the best rookie wide receivers out there.
The Vikings have a +230 chance of winning the NFC North in back-to-back seasons, but a +3500 chance of winning the Super Bowl.
Green Bay Packers: The post-Aaron Rodgers era begins
- NFC North Odds: 380
- Super Bowl Odds: 6500
- 2022 Record: 8-9
- 2023 Win Total: 7.5 o/u One chapter ends. A new beginning begins. For the first time since the early 1990s, the Packers will start the season without a quarterback. Over the past three decades, the franchise has had two generations of superstars at the helm.
Rodgers and the Packers eventually parted ways after a few unhappy seasons, with the Packers trading Rodgers to the New York Jets. The Packers finally get a chance to see if Jordan Love is ready to be Green Bay's next quarterback. Love is a big question mark, having started just one game in his career. The pressure is on Love, but then again, Rodgers went just 6-10 in his first season as a starter in Green Bay, where he replaced Favre in 2008.
Head coach Matt LaFleur is also eager to finally get the offense going without Rodgers the past few seasons. In LaFleur's first three years in Green Bay, the Packers won 13 games in three straight seasons. The team had a record of 8-9 last season and LaFleur missed the playoffs for the first time as head coach.
The Packers are in rebuilding mode this season with a win total of 7.5 o/u. In their first season without Rodgers, the Cheeseheads will consider anything a success as long as they don't finish last in the NFC North.
Chicago Bears: Big Bears back on track
- NFC North Odds: 400
- Super Bowl Odds: 5000
- 2022 Balance Sheet: 3-14
- 2023 Win Total: 7.5 o/u The Bears were the NFL's worst team last season with a 3-14 record. They already had Justin Fields at quarterback, so they took advantage of desperate teams looking for a quarterback and traded down in the 2023 NFL Draft.
After a slow start, Fields showed promise late in the season, with rookie head coach Matt Eberfus introducing specific running plays for the dual-threat quarterback. Fields is entering his third season and has never thrown for more than 300 yards in a game. Offensive coordinator Luke Gacy knows Fields needs to open up the passing attack this season if the Bears hope to climb out of the NFC North.
The Bears have a wide receiver room that includes DJ Moore, Chase Claypool, Darnell Mooney and Equinimeous St. Brown. They also hired former Packers tight end Robert Tonyan to play behind starter Cole Kmet.
The Bears improved their shaky offensive line and selected Darnell Wright out of Tennessee with the 10th overall pick in the draft. They also signed guard Nate Davis as a free agent.
The Bears will use Khalil Herbert at running back, but have the Indianapolis Colts on their list of potential trade partners to look for unlucky Jonathan Taylor.
The 2022 Bears are 0-6 in conference play against NFC North teams. They enter the season with an overall win percentage of 7.5 o/u, and oddsmakers believe the Bears could have twice as many wins as last season.
The Bears sit in the middle of the pack at +5,000 to win, which is amazing for a team that only managed three wins last season.
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Source: www.casino.org
