It’s natural to expect regression in the NFL.
When a team like the Chicago Bears ascends from last place all the way to 11 victories and an NFC North title with a second-year quarterback and first-year head coach, there tends to be skepticism about repeatability.
If Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson are the real deal, though, the Bears’ orange and blue rocket ship could keep climbing.
“People see the win total at 9.5, and it might seem high,” Westgate SuperBook Vice President of Race and Sports John Murray told me.
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“Chicago was a play or two away from the NFC Championship. Caleb looks like the real deal. We really like the coach. The division makes it difficult to get too carried away, but there’s no reason to think they won’t be good again.”
To Murray’s point about division strength, the Bears have the third-best odds (+370) to win the North at the SuperBook. Their NFL bookmakers have Detroit (+155) a smidge ahead of Green Bay (+180) with Minnesota (+700) a distant fourth.
Chicago is essentially a coin flip to make the playoffs.
Most optimism centers around Williams.
“If everything goes right, he’ll finish the season a top-10 quarterback,” “The Athletic” Bears writer Kevin Fishbain said. “Which means he’ll still be a playmaker but also a guy who improves his accuracy dramatically while continuing to avoid sacks and turnovers like we saw last year.”
Fishbain expects big things for receiver Luther Burden III, too.
My old WGN Radio teammate Mark Carman yaks about the Bears for CHGO these days, and he tends to keep level-headed thoughts.
“They should play [Tyson] Bagent,” Carman cracked.
I informed him I’d print that if he was critical.
“Yr 2 for Ben Johnson will come right down to Yr 3 for Caleb Williams,” Carman continued. “For the Bears to be greater than a workforce that will get into the playoffs, Williams will must be within the MVP dialog.
“The defensive position is very unlikely to get sufficient stress on the opposing quarterback, so the Bears’ quarterback goes to want to make one other massive leap and cement himself as among the best within the recreation.”
Williams is 16/1 to win MVP — $1,600 on a $100 guess.
Most of Chicago’s playmakers are again, sans receiver D.J. Moore, who was traded to Buffalo. D’Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai, Rome Odunze, Burden, Jahdae Walker, Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet present Johnson with ample chess items. Newcomers Kalif Raymond and Zavion Thomas will assist.
Changing retired middle Drew Dalman gained’t be simple, however the Bears clearly prioritized and addressed the O-line during the last two offseasons.
“Give them credit score,” former NFL offensive lineman and present FOX Sports activities analyst Geoff Schwartz informed me. “They needed to discover a alternative [for Dalman] and had been proactive about bringing in Garrett Bradbury.”
Schwartz likes the stylistics the Bears’ massive boys carry.
“I like how they work within the run recreation,” he admitted. “With [Joe] Thuney as their anchor, they need to proceed to work collectively at a excessive stage. They perceive the aim of the run, they usually end their blocks.”
Final yr, I used to be everywhere in the Bears to make the playoffs at +165.
This yr, I like Over 9.5 wins (+110 at SuperBook). There’s tons to love with Williams having extra seasoning and a greater understanding of Johnson’s offense. Positive, the division and schedule are powerful, however so are the Bears.
Definitely, any person within the sports activities betting streets should see the opposite facet. As a result of all of the positivity is exhausting. It may well’t be all glass half full.
“I lean Underneath on Chicago,” skilled bettor Rob Pizzola mentioned.
“However I’m scared to demise of Ben Johnson.”
