NFC NORTH DIVISION WINNER ODDS
- Green Bay Packers: -185
- Minnesota Vikings: +275
- Chicago Bears: +900
- Detroit Lions: +900
OVER/UNDER WIN TOTALS
- Green Bay Packers: 11.5
- Minnesota Vikings: 8.5
- Chicago Bears: 6.5
- Detroit Lions: 6.5
GREEN BAY PACKERS
2021 SEASON
- 2021 record: 13-4
- 1st in NFC North
- Playoffs: Yes
LOSSES
- WR Devonte Adams
- OL Billy Turner
- WR Marquez Valdes Scantling
- WR Equanimeous St. Brown
- OLB Za’Darious Smith
ADDED
- DT Jarran Reed
- WR Sammy Watkins
- LB Krys Barnes
- ST Coach Rich Bisaccia
NOTABLE DRAFT PICKS
- 1st round: LB Quak Walker (Georgia)
- 1st round: DT Devonte Wyatt (Georgia)
- 2nd round: WR Christian Watson (North Dakota ST)
With all the drama caused by star quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ indecision in the offseason on whether he would retire, be traded, or wanted to stay with the team caused the Green Bay Packers in a rough spot determining the directions they would go when approaching free agency and the draft as well as this upcoming season overall. The Packers and Rodgers failed once again in the playoffs which is another example of their choking habits since they won the Super Bowl in the 2010 season. Hell, at least they got Rich Bisaccia to fix their special teams problems that they had in the playoff game against the Niners. I believe Rodgers’ indecision this offseason led to one of the best receivers in the NFL, Devonte Adams, to want out of Green Bay which resulted in him being traded to the Raiders. With Adams, they also took big hits to their receiving core in St. Brown and Valdes Scantling, which leaves this team’s WR core looking pretty bare. The Packers followed suit and did not grab a 1st round WR and waited to the 2nd round to get Christian Watson. They did what they always do – focused their top picks on defense. You would think after scoring just 10 points in the divisional round of the playoffs that you might want to focus on offense but the Packers thought differently. I think this type of mismanagement with the Packers will result in them taking a step in the win-loss total. Still, they have Aaron Rodgers at least for this season which makes them by far the best team in this division and will probably dominate it once again.
2022 FUTURES BET
- Win Total: Under 11.5
- Win NFC North (bet big)
- Playoffs: Yes
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
2021 SEASON
- 2021 record: 8-9
- 2nd in NFC North
- Playoffs: No
LOSSES
- HC Mike Zimmer
- LB Anthony Barr
- DT Sheldon Richardson
- DE Everson Griffin
- LB Nick Vigil
- S Xavier Woods
- TE Tyler Conklin
ADDED
- HC Kevin O’Connell
- LB Za’Darius Smith
- DT Harrison Phillips
- LB Jordan Hicks
- OL Jesse Davis
- WR Albert Wilson
NOTABLE DRAFT PICKS
- 1st Round: DB Lewis Cine (Georgia)
- 2nd Round: CB Andrew Booth (Clemson)
- 2nd Round: G ED Engram (LSU)
After a long 8-year stint with the Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was fired. In his 8 seasons with the Vikings, he made the playoffs just 3 times but never lost more than 9 games in a season and was a very solid coach overall. Now they will enter the Kevin O’Connell era going along with the trend of hiring coaches who are young and have worked with Sean McVay. Though he did just win a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams as offensive coordinator he did not call plays and he will have to translate McVay’s system over to this Vikings team. Even with great weapons such as Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and Dalvin along with Zimmer’s defense the Vikings continue to underachieve. I think the blame is squarely on quarterback Kirk Cousins. He has erratic inconsistent play but he puts up great stats that keep him paid nicely but doesn’t help this team win as much as they should. We all know his record when he is under the lights in primetime and that is just a part of the reason this team doesn’t win more games which I believe led to Zimmer taking the blame and ultimately getting fired. I don’t think the Vikings did a good enough job of replacing the pieces that they lost in the offseason to make me think that this team is trending upward this season. This will definitely affect them in the win column as well as their chances to win the division as I feel they don’t have enough on their team to compete with the Packers, especially with a rookie head coach trying to find his way.
2022 FUTURES BET
- Win Total: Under 8.5
- 3rd in NFC North (no bet to win division)
- Playoffs: No
CHICAGO BEARS
2021 SEASON
- 2021 record: 6-9
- 3rd in NFC North
- Playoffs: No
LOSSES
- HC Matt Nagy
- WR Allen Robinson
- OL James Daniels
- WR Jakeem Grant
- DE Akiem Hicks
- CB Artie Burns
- LB Danny Trevathan
- QB Andy Dalton
ADDED
- HC Matt Eberflus
- WR Tajae Sharpe
- WR Dante Pettis
- WR Equanimeous St. Brown
- CB Tavon Young
- TE Ryan Griffin
- WR Byron Pringle
NOTABLE DRAFT PICKS
- 2nd round: CB Kyler Gordon (Washington)
- 2nd round: S Jaquan Brisker (Penn St)
- 3rd round: WR Velus Jones (Tennessee)
Chicago is a complete disaster and has been for a while because of the mentality of management towards personnel. The Bears’ front office and the city’s nostalgia for the monsters of the midway of the 1985 team keep them in an endless cycle of focusing on defense leaving the offense as a baron wasteland. They haven’t ever had a standout franchise quarterback in the history of the franchise. Just last year they did pick a first-round quarterback in Justin Fields a guy I did not like at all coming out of Ohio State. After his first year in the league, he is just proving me right about how much of a bust he is but I will concede that no quarterbacks have really succeeded with the Bears, especially with this current team with the severe lack of talented weapons around Fields as well as a terrible offensive line that got him killed last year. I just think it is a bad quarterback in a bad situation. Again, this year proves their defensive mindset by going from offensive-minded Matt Nagy to defensive coach Matt Eberflus. This is an offensive league with the rules and just going by who just won the Super Bowl in McVay. They also going heavy defense in the draft with their 2 top draft picks with a corner and safety. I feel this is a completely wrong direction for the Bears I believe they will be one of the worst teams in the league as well as finishing at the bottom of this division which I don’t think is a very good division.
2022 FUTURES BET
- Win Total: Under 6.5
- 4th in NFC North (absolutely no bet to win division)
- Playoffs: Hell nah
DETROIT LIONS
2021 SEASON
- 2021 record: 3-13-1
- 4th in NFC North
- Playoffs: No
LOSSES
- CB Jalen Reeves Maybin
- WR Khadarel Hodge
- S Dean Marlowe
- DT Joel Heath
ADDED
- WR DJ Chark
- CB Mike Hughes
- LB Chris Board
- S Deshon Elliot
- CB Jarrad Davis
NOTABLE DRAFT PICKS
- 1st round: DE Aiden Hutchinson (Michigan)
- 1st round: WR Jameson Williams (Alabama)
- 2nd round: DE Josh Paschal (Kentucky)
Hope has been very seldom if you are a Detroit Lions fan but it is what you are hoping for is the question. If you are hoping this team is going to win the Super Bowl that is probably misplaced hope. But if you hope that they will be better than last year I believe there are reasons to hope for that. I think this team has some pretty good talent including what they brought in a receiver in free agency with DJ Chark and through the draft with Jameson Williams as well as already having St. Brown in the lineup who had a good year. They have a decent running game led by Deandre Swift and have a stable quarterback in Jared Goff. I am not saying Goff is something special but he is very capable and can win some games which in the end is what we are betting on here. He kept them competitive last season even though the record does not reflect that they were in a lot of games that they found a way to lose. I think if a few things go their way this season they can turn some of Ls to Ws. The Lions’ defense is where they are the weakest but that is why they got some good players in their top 3 picks with two pass rushers. Hopefully, that will make a difference for a that was 29th in total defense last year. I do feel hopeful myself for the Lions I think they have some decent talent to win a good number of games but I think nobody but the Packers is close to seriously competing for this division.
2022 FUTURES BET
- Win Total: Over 6.5
- 2nd in the division (no bet – it’s the Lions)
- Playoffs: No
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