For the most part, Green Bay has owned this division over the past several seasons with Minnesota making an occasional run here and there. According to the NFL futures odds at BetOnline Sportsbook, that appears to be the case heading into the 2017.
It looks like the NFC North is Green Bay’s to lose in 2017 according to BetOnline’s current betting odds for all four teams when it comes to winning this division. You get the feeling that the Packers have bigger and better things on their mind than this title given last year’s crushing loss to Atlanta in the conference title game.
Green Bay Packers -275
Looking at the futures odds, the gap in the NFC North between the Packers and the rest of the division appears to be huge, but you have to keep in mind that they only went 10-6 last year to win the title by one game. Green Bay’s projected win total for the 2017 regular season is set at 10.5 and the current betting odds favor the UNDER at -120.
The NFL is a quarterback driven league and with Aaron Rodgers still in place as Green Bay’s signal caller this team is probably going to win a few more games than it loses. Ten wins will probably be enough to claim another division title make the run to the top all the more easier.
Minnesota Vikings +350
Give credit to Minnesota for its 8-8 record last year considering that it had to trade for a starting quarterback right before the start of the regular season. It looks like Sam Bradford could remain the Vikings starter for the foreseeable future with Teddy Bridgewater still recovering from a devastating knee injury last August.
The addition of running back Dalvin Cook with the ninth overall pick in the draft should help replace the loss of Adrian Peterson in the running game, but the Vikings’ offense still has some work to do after finishing last season ranked 28th in the NFL in total yards.
Detroit Lions +600
Detroit went from seven wins in 2015 to a 9-7 record last season to earn a wild card spot in the playoffs. The Lions were ranked 11th in passing last season behind Matthew Stafford throwing the ball to deep receiving corps led by Golden Tate and Anquan Boldin, but they were 30th in the league when it came to running the ball.
Head coach Jim Caldwell decided to use five of his first seven draft picks on the defensive side of the ball to boost a unit that was 18th in the league in yards allowed. Detroit could take another step forward, but past history under Caldwell may not be in its favor after his team went in the other direction after posting 11 wins in 2014.
Chicago Bears +4000
The Bears should be considered to be in a major rebuilding process with their decision to use the second overall pick in the draft to select former North Carolina Tar Heel Mitch Trubisky as its quarterback of the future. With just three wins in 2016 following a 6-10 record the year before, it is easy to see why the betting odds favor the UNDER on 5.5 wins this season at -140.
Chicago should take a step forward this season, but it will not be nearly enough to contend for the division title. It may actually take a few years before the Bears return to being the Monsters of the Midway.
