The NFC North is Closer Than The Odds Indicate
The unknown status of Aaron Rodgers would make you think that the NFC North will be anyone’s to win in 2021, but oddsmakers don’t see it that way.
WynnBET has released odds for all eight NFL divisions, and it has the Green Bay Packers set as the second heaviest favorite to win their division among all teams. Only the Kansas City Chiefs are more favored to win their division.
While the steep price won’t help anyone who’s looking to back the Packers this year, it could present some enticing options if you’re looking to bet on one of the other three teams to win the division.
Here are the latest odds to win the NFC North courtesy of WynnBET.
Green Bay Packers -300
If Rodgers returns to the Packers for another season, the Packers are certainly deserving of this price. The 2020 NFL MVP still has some solid years left in him, but the ongoing offseason dispute with Packers’ management is still unresolved.
Green Bay finished the 2020 season with a 13-3 record, good for the best mark in the NFC, before eventually falling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the conference championship game. With the majority of the team returning, expect more of the same if Rodgers is able to make amends.
If Rodgers does NOT return, second year quarterback Jordan Love will take over the reins. We’ve yet to see him take a snap in an NFL regular season game, but you can be assured that they won’t be the same team if it’s Love under center.
Minnesota Vikings +350
The Minnesota Vikings had a disappointing 7-9 season in 2020, but that was in large part due to a young defense that was bit by the injury bug early and often. They still managed to averaged the third most yards per game in the NFL at 393.2.
With Mike Zimmer retooling his defense in the offseason, including signing Patrick Peterson and Sheldon Richardson, the Vikings could be a force to be reckoned with in the division and are the obvious bet to make if you’re looking to fade the Packers.
Chicago Bears +750
The Chicago Bears drafted their quarterback of the future when they selected Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields with the 11th overall pick in the NFL Draft. Despite Bears fans wanting them to start Fields out of the gate, Matt Nagy has made it clear that he plans on starting Andy Dalton in Week 1.
The Bears have a lot of questions that need to be answered on offense, and their defense wasn’t their usual selves in 2020. With an offense that ranked 28th in the NFL in yards per game at 325.9, some major improvements need to be made if they want to compete in the NFC North in 2021.
Detroit Lions +2500
The Detroit Lions are officially in full rebuild mode. After firing head coach Matt Patricia and trading away longtime quarterback Matt Stafford in favor of Jared Goff, the Lions are projected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL in 2021.
Don’t let the long odds seduce you into parting with your money on the Lions having any sort of success this season.