It’s Aaron Rodgers’ last swim through the NFL with the Green Bay Packers this season, and the sports betting world has driven the value out of wagering on the Packers to win the NFC North as a result. He’s the reigning league MVP, and he has a chip on his shoulder that may be even larger than the permanent one that Tom Brady carries around. So in the absence of injuries, the Packers should be the strong favorites.
We have the updated NFL odds for each team to win the division as well as our thoughts on their prospects for the year.
NFL News: Picks to Win the NFC North
| Green Bay Packers | -165 |
| Minnesota Vikings | +250 |
| Chicago Bears | +550 |
| Detroit Lions | +2500 |
Green Bay is definitely focused on the here and now. General manager Brian Gutekunst had to reign in his pride a bit to get Aaron Rodgers back in the building, but the Packers’ prospects would have been much dimmer with Jordan Love running the offense, as talented as he is. The team brought Randall Cobb back to town to run routes for Rodgers opposite Davante Adams. The window for the Packers to win a Super Bowl seems to be down to this season, so expect everyone to be all in.
Minnesota has already had to deal with quarterback Kirk Cousins’ COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, as his status as a close contact got himself and the rest of the quarterback depth chart had to sit out of practice during the quarantine period. This has led to tension between Cousins and head coach Mike Zimmer. The Vikings’ defense should be improved this season, and they also made some key acquisitions along the O-line. Dalvin Cook is one of the top three running backs in the NFL right now, and so the Vikings are an intriguing quantity. They are a fun value pick in the NFC North, but I still doubt their ability to beat the Packers, even at home, so they are a wild card choice out of the division for me.
Chicago only has seven starters left from their 2018 squad that rode an elite defense to a 12-4 record and a division title. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio went to Denver, where he is now the head coach, and Khalil Mack, the leader of that defense, is still around. He did have a subpar 2020 at linebacker, with drops in all of his key numbers. It will be interesting to see if 2021 represents a bounceback of sorts, or whether he is already on the downward slope of his career going into his 30s.
Detroit could be dreadful this season, if Jared Goff continues the tailspin that saw him lose his starting job with the Rams. However, T.J. Hockenson is an intriguing tight end who caught 67 balls for 723 yards and six touchdowns a year ago. Goff has nothing to lose at this point, and the expectations in Detroit could not be softer at this point. He looked decent in the preseason opener, and we need to remember that he did take the Rams to a Super Bowl. If Goff decides that it’s time to take the game back, and he can rouse the Lions to play above their talent level, then this team could sneak off with five or six wins…and lay the foundation for contending going forward.
NFL Betting Odds
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