There is no clear-cut favorite to win the NFC North. Currently, the oddsmakers have the Detroit Lions listed as the team to beat in the division, but the Lions haven’t claimed a division title since 1993. This hard-luck franchise has only won four division titles since its foundation in 1930, so it’s a bit dangerous to trust the Lions to finish atop the NFC North. That’s part of the reason why my favorite futures bet is for Minnesota to repeat as division champions at a mouthwatering price of +283.
NFL Betting Odds
2023 NFC North Odds
Detroit Lions +138
Minnesota Vikings +283
Chicago Bears +350
Green Bay Packers +382
The Detroit Lions bandwagon is getting pretty full. Detroit is one of the most popular teams of the offseason after appearing on Hard Knocks last year with their charismatic coach Dan Campbell. The Lions were 1-6 at the end of October, but they ended the season on a high note with an 8-2 record in their last 10 games.
Detroit had a top five offense last season with Jared Goff at the helm. Goff has talent at the skill positions, but there are concerns too. Jameson Williams has been suspended for at least the first six games to start the season, and Marvin Jones Jr. is not the same talent he was on the perimeter. Jahmyr Gibbs is a rookie with a lot of hype, but there have been plenty of young running backs that failed to meet expectations in the Motor City.
Additionally, this was a bottom five scoring defense in 2022, and the Lions finished dead last in total defense. Aidan Hutchinson is a standout defensive end, but there isn’t a lot of talent on this side of the ball. The secondary has the potential to be terrible once again too, so it’s best to avoid the Lions at this price.
Meanwhile, Minnesota finished last season with a 13-4 record. Yes, the Vikings were fortunate, and yes, they were exposed by the New York Giants in the Wild Card Round, but this team has the most proven talent in the NFC North. Kirk Cousins will never win a Super Bowl, yet he is an above average quarterback that is probably the top signal caller in the division, and Justin Jefferson is easily the top receiver.
Defensively, the Vikings finally shook things up after letting this unit get a little long in the tooth. The secondary has some real things going for it, and Marcus Davenport could be a difference maker after joining the team in the offseason.
Stay away from backing Chicago at this price. The Bears should be closer to 10-1 than what they are currently at now. Justin Fields is fun to watch and may break Lamar Jackson’s single-season rushing record for a quarterback, but he has not proven that he can throw the football accurately. To make matters worse, the receiving corps is mediocre although D.J. Moore is an upgrade.
This is no Monsters of the Midway defense, and the front seven can be run on by teams committed to keeping the ball on the ground. However, there is much to like about the secondary and safeties Jaquan Brisker and Eddie Jackson.
For the first time in over three decades, the Green Bay Packers don’t have a generational quarterback under center. Green Bay was always a contender with either Aaron Rodgers or Brett Favre leading the team, but no one knows what to expect from Jordan Love. The Utah State product was selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft and has only seen limited action. He has some talent at the skill positions though, and the left side of the offensive line is awesome.
There are some questions about the defense though even though the front office has spent a lot of money and draft capital to improve this area. Green Bay was a below average unit in total defense in 2022, and the Packers haven’t finished higher than ninth in total defense or scoring defense since 2010.
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