NFC North Betting Preview: No One Will Dethrone the Packers
Ah, the NFC North, where the Green Bay Packers dominate, the Vikings are occasionally relevant and the Bears and Lions hibernate by October most years. (Yes, I am aware that Lis do not hibernate.) Anyway, will this year be any different?
The Packers (-190) are still the best team, with the best quarterback. Aaron Rodgers continues to improve and he shared his secret with the world of his renewed success. He has apparently been licking toads. No, in reality, he's apparently been going to Central and South America and doing some sort of psychoactive brew. Whatever it is, success has followed. Rodgers will have a tougher time though as he no longer has his favorite target, Davante Adams. Still, Rodgers has made many receivers successful who never had a name before him. I just don't see another team in the division that can dethrone them.
You might think the Vikings (+265) can win the division, and maybe they can. But, do you really want to put your money on Kirk Cousins for months? I can't imagine that will be a payoff you'll enjoy. The stress alone might not be worth it. The Vikings arguably have the best offense in the division. They have a solid receiving core - starting with Justin Jefferson. Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison have been very reliable running backs, but it seems like Cook is often injured. The Vikings' defense is where I see some struggle. I'd love to back them if they could get that part together, but looking at their schedule I only see about eight wins for sure, and maybe another couple of games if they get lucky.
These next two teams will be shorter. The Bears (+1400) might have something in Justin Fields, but I haven't seen enough from him to have any confidence in it. He didn't look good in the first preseason, and I'm not convinced he will be in a system that works for him. The Bears are just a dysfunctional franchise. I'd love to see if they can surround him with a bit of talent, and coaches that use his skillset rather than change him into something he isn't. They will be below .500 this year. Even if Cousins and Rodgers go down with injuries, I think I'd probably take the Lions over the Bears.
I liked some of the things that I saw out of the Lions (+1000) last season, but they aren't going to make this big of a leap. They were competitive in the games and seemed to play hard for their coach, which can be a big deal. They added to their defense and their offense has a dynamic running back and decent wide receivers. Still, Jared Goff will only carry them so far. Will they win the division, I really doubt it.
I'm going to pay the price on this and play the Packers -190 to win the division. I also will throw them in a parlay with the Buccaneers and Bills to win their divisions and get a +206 payday.