Bears' odds to win NFC North after 2024 schedule release
Bears' odds to win NFC North after 2024 schedule release originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The NFL regular season schedule has been released, which means fans and players now know the circumstances under which they'll be playing each team in 2024-25.
The number of off-days between games, start times and prime-time appearances are all factors that could impact a team's performance in a game. So now that we know where and when the Chicago Bears will be playing each week, let's look at which team the oddsmakers believe will win the NFC North this season.
The Detroit Lions are the clear favorite to win the division, according to DraftKings, coming in at +150. The next-best odds belong to the Green Bay Packers at -210, followed by the Bears at +265 and then the Minnesota Vikings at +1000.
FanDuel also lists the Bears with third-best chance at winning the division with the odds set at +320. The Lions are a +145 favorite for the crown, followed by the Packers at +185. The Viking come in at +900.
The most glaring aspect of the Bears' 2024 schedule is the fact that they don't a divisional game until Week 11 on Nov. 17 against the Packers.
The NFL has made a concerted effort to try and backload the schedule with as many divisional games as possible to increase the late-season stakes. But it's rare for a team not to play any divisional games before mid-November. This also means that six of the Bears' last eight games are against divisional opponents.
These opening lines are obviously subject to change before the start of the season.
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