The NFC North looks like a two-way race between the Green Bay Packers (5-1) and the Chicago Bears (5-2), with the Packers the favorite at -400 odds to win the division. According to a recent update by DraftKings, the Bears are +375 odds to win and prevent the Packers from claiming their third-straight NFC North title.
Sadly, the Detroit Lions (3-3) and Minnesota Vikings (1-5) aren’t really in the picture. The Lions came into this season as the long shot to win the NFC North at +600 odds. Despite a 3-3 start, the Lions slipped to +1200 odds to win the division.
| NFC NORTH ODDS (As of 10/27/20) |
- Green Bay Packers -400
- Chicago Bears +375
- Detroit Lions +1200
- Minnesota Vikings +8000
The Vikings are one of the biggest busts of 2020. The Vikes came into the season as co-favorites with the Packers to win the NFC North at +175 odds. Right now, the one-win Vikings are +8000 or 80/1 odds to win their division.
The Packers are the third-favorite at +500 odds on the futures board to win the NFC Championship, according to a recent update by the Mirage Casino in Las Vegas. The Mirage also lists the Packers as their sixth-best favorite to win the 2021 Super Bowl at +1100 or 11/1 odds.
Da Bears: Contenders or Pretenders?
After a 5-1 start, the Bears were shut down by the LA Rams on Monday Night Football. The Bears were gifted with an easy start to the season with road games at the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons, which sandwiched a home game against the listless New York Giants.
The Bears have nine more games on their schedule, but only hit the road four more times. They still have to face the Packers twice, with their first matchup coming in Week 12 after a bye.
The Bears will be tested in Week 8 with Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints coming to the Windy City. Coming into the Saints game, the Bears will be a home dog at +4.
| CHICAGO REMAINING GAMES |
- HOME: New Orleans, Minnesota, Detroit, Houston, Green Bay
- AWAY: at Tennessee, at Green Bay, at Minnesota, at Jacksonville
The good news for the Bears is that their final two road games are against one-win teams (Minnesota and Jacksonville) that are currently a combined 2-11.
The bad news is that the Packers are their final opponent of the season at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Rodgers Last Hurrah in Green Bay?
The Packers’ front office lit a fire under Aaron Rodgers’ ass when they picked quarterback Jordan Love in the 2020 NFL Draft. Since then, Rodgers has been in peak form. The Packers average 32.8 points per game or second-best in the NFL with running plays based on the “Mesh” concept.
Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs ruined a perfect season for the Packers after a 5-0 start.
The Packers will hit the road four more times this season, including a tough Thursday Night Football matchup in Week 9 against the San Francisco 49ers, which will be a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship game. In Week 11, the Packers have a difficult non-conference road opponent when they head to Indianapolis to play the stingy Colts defense.
| GREEN BAY REMAINING GAMES |
- HOME: Minnesota, Jacksonville, Chicago, Philadelphia, Carolina, Tennessee
- AWAY: at San Francisco, at Indianapolis, at Detroit, at Chicago
The Packers have six more home games, including three games at Lambeau Field in December when the ground freezes and the ghosts of the frozen tundra take shape.
The Packers host the Tennessee Titans in the penultimate week of the season. That last home game should be a stellar matchup between two teams on a mission to advance to the Super Bowl.
The Packers play Da Bears in Chicago in Week 17, which could potentially determine the division.
