The NFC North is the oldest division in football, and the rivalries run deep here. The Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and Green Bay Packers are three of the oldest franchises in the league, and their battles over the decades have engendered some great rivalries. Unlike most of the other divisions, there is no runaway favorite in the NFC North, so betting odds on the NFC North are quite even between the top three teams in the division.
2020 NFC North Sports Betting Preview
Chicago Bears
The Bears ended up with a home run hire in Matt Nagy. The former Arena league quarterback worked his magic on Mitchell Trubisky, turning him into an efficient passer in his second season in the league. While the jury is still out on Trubisky as a whole, he no longer looks like the bust many were calling him after an unconvincing rookie season.
Chicago is hopeful that it has solved its inability to run the ball. Jordan Howard just wasn’t effective last season, so the Bears brought in Mike Davis and drafted David Montgomery to give the team more options at the position.
This defense was the real driving force behind the surprising 2018 campaign, and virtually every piece is back. What’s even crazier is that this unit could be better too. Chicago added Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to pair with Eddie Jackson at safety, and the Bears are expecting a breakout campaign from Roquan Smith. Smith has a ton of raw talent, but an extended holdout limited his time with the team in 2018.
Khalil Mack was the best linebacker in the league last season, and his versatility frees up a lot of other defenders to make plays. He can create an incredible amount of havoc when he blitzes.
Detroit Lions
The Lions are the longshot to win the division per the NFC North betting odds. Detroit has not won this division since 1993, and it’s unlikely the Lions can do it this time around considering their dearth of talent in comparison to other teams.
Matt Stafford has been an above average quarterback for the last decade, and he could put up even bigger numbers than usual this season. The Lions drafted TJ Hockenson in the top ten to give him a talented tight end to target, and Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones are an underrated tandem of receivers. Kerryon Johnson could have a nice season too.
This defense was better with Matt Patricia calling the shots, but Detroit just doesn’t have the talent that Chicago or Minnesota possess on this front.
Green Bay Packers
Any team that has an elite quarterback like Aaron Rodgers is always going to be a threat to win the division. That’s why the NFC North betting odds for the Green Bay Packers are so low despite a general lack of talent on this roster.
The Packers might have the worst wide receiving corps they have put together since Aaron Rodgers became the starting quarterback. Davante Adams is the only proven receiver on the roster, and the rest of the depth chart is a mess. Running back continues to be a major issue too, even though some believe Aaron Jones might be the one to solve those woes.
Green Bay has not had a top ten defense since they won the Super Bowl, and that is unlikely to change in 2019. The Packers probably have the worst defense in the division, as there is no position you can feel confident in.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings signed Kirk Cousins to a massive deal last year, but he did not prove to be the difference maker the franchise was hoping to land. Cousins wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t great either, and that’s a problem when you have talented wideouts like Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs.
Fortunately, one of the league’s best defenses will ensure Minnesota is a contender in 2019. The linebackers and cornerbacks are the strength of the unit, and Harrison Smith is one of the best safeties in the league. The Vikings did underperform on defense last season, but the talent is there if you like Minnesota and betting on the NFC North odds by taking the Vikings isn’t a bad option.
Check out the latest NFC North betting odds at the online sportsbook.
