The Bears have been one of the busiest teams in the NFL this offseason, and now they’re primed to add quarterback prospect phenom Caleb Williams. Oddsmakers have noticed.
On Monday, BetOnline released its first set of lines for NFL team win totals, and the Bears outlook has improved slightly from last year. At the time of publication, BetOnline had their line set at 8.5 wins for the Bears this season. That means if the Bears finish the year with eight or fewer wins, then people who bet the under will win. Bettors who take the over will win if the Bears end up with nine or more wins.
Last year, the Bears line was set at 7.5 wins, and they finished the season with a 7-10 record.
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It’s easy to see why the oddsmakers expect improvement for the Bears this season. They’ve added big time playmakers on offense and defense like Keenan Allen and Kevin Byard. The contract extension for Jaylon Johnson ensures that he’ll enter the year without contract negotiations hanging over his head. A full year of Montez Sweat should help the team play light’s out defense for a full year instead of just half of a year.
It’s also understandable that oddsmakers only bumped up the Bears expectations by one win despite all the improvements. Teams with rookie quarterbacks almost always struggle. For every Texans/C.J. Stroud (10-7), 49ers/Brock Purdy (5-0), or Colts/Andrew Luck (11-5) story, there are more examples like the Panthers/Bryce Young (2-15), Jaguars/Trevor Lawrence (3-14), Bengals/Joe Burrow (2-7-1), Chargers/Justin Herbert (6-9), Cardinals/Kyler Murray (5-10-1), Lions/Matt Stafford (2-8), etc., etc., etc. pairings.
Looking around the rest of the division, oddsmakers predict a third-place finish for the Bears in the NFC North this year. They have the Lions’ line set at 10.5 wins, the Packers are at 10 wins and the Vikings round out the group with their line set at 6.5 wins.