Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers looked like they were headed for a standoff and hold-out, but both parties agreed to put aside their differences in Cheeseland. As a result, the Packers are -160 odds to win the NFC North in Rodgers’ final season in Green Bay before he’s either traded or seeks early retirement.
The Minnesota Vikings, at +250 odds, are the closest competition for the Packers in the NFC North. It’s laughable to compare Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to Rodgers, but it’s really a fight for second place in the division.
The Chicago Bears will get to see what a real quarterback looks like after they finally punted on Mitch Trubisky. Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions traded Matthew Stafford to the LA Rams in exchange for a nice haul of draft picks and Jared Goff.
| 2021 NFC North Division Odds |
- Green Bay Packers -160
- Minnesota Vikings +250
- Chicago Bears +550
- Detroit Lions +2800
The Packers are +1300 odds to win Super Bowl 56 according to DraftKings, with the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Bucs, and Buffalo Bills ahead of them. The Packers are the third-highest team on the NFC Championship futures board at +600 odds, trailing both the Bucs and San Francisco 49ers.
Packers -160
Rodgers is the reigning MVP and he was very close to retiring in the offseason due to a growing rift between himself and the front office. The Packers took a hardline approach with Rodgers and refused to trade him, which is why he’s back for one more season. Will he go out in a blaze of glory in 2021? Or will he act like every other disgruntled employee in America and “phone it in” while counting the days until he’s officially dunzo?
Knowing how competitive Rodgers is, he’s going to try to win another MVP and win a title for the diehard fans of Green Bay in spite of his simmering discontent with front-office executives.
Rodgers has one of the top running backs in the league with Aaron Jones. He also has one of the premier wide receivers in the game with Davante Adams. If all three remain healthy, the Packers will have an easy path to a third-straight NFC North division title. The Packers are -160 odds and one of the bigger divisional favorites this season.
Vikings +250
You’ve got to feel bad for Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook because they’re stuck in Minnesota with Kirk Cousins. Stefon Diggs, meanwhile, got his chance to shine by playing with a real quarterback like Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. You can’t help but think that Thielen and Cook are jealous of Diggs because it will be another long winter of discontent in Minnesota.
Last year’s Vikings had a horrible defense. They’ve tried to address those big holes, but they’ll never make a legit run in the playoffs with Cousins at the helm.
The Vikings are +250 odds to win the NFC North for the first time since 2017 when they went 13-3 and lost in the NFC Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Bears +550
After back-to-back 8-8 seasons, Da Bears are hoping rookie Justin Fields can turn the franchise around. Andy Dalton and Nick Foles are both on the roster with Dalton slated as the Week 1 starter, but how long will it take before head coach Matt Nagy taps Fields as the starter instead of not rushing the rookie into action?
The Bears have a promising running game with David Montgomery. Although Khalil Mack had an off-year last season, he’s still one of the most dangerous defensive players in the league. The Bears have potential, but they also have a tough schedule to start the season, with two road games against the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns. They also have a bumpy stretch in October with games against the Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Bucs, and San Francisco 49ers.
Lions +2800
We will refer to Detroit’s football team as the Kittens until they prove themselves worthy of the Lions moniker. The Kittens traded their beloved quarterback Matthew Stafford, who will be chasing down a Super Bowl trophy in Hollywood. The Kittens think ex-Rams QB Jared Goff has plenty of gas left in the tank, otherwise, they’ll look foolish for trading a future Hall of Famer for an overpriced, mediocre game manager.
The Lions are the long shot in the division to win the NFC North at +2800 odds.
