{"id":161494,"date":"2025-08-20T16:10:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T16:10:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/161494\/"},"modified":"2025-08-20T16:10:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T16:10:14","slug":"nfc-north-betting-preview-odds-and-picks-for-the-division","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/161494\/","title":{"rendered":"NFC North betting preview &#8211; Odds and picks for the division"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Aug 20, 2025, 10:10 AM ET<\/p>\n<p>The NFC North produced three playoff teams last season. The <a data-clubhouse-guid=\"56caffee-178d-f6f2-a076-b277486b8c32\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/team\/_\/name\/det\/detroit-lions\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Detroit Lions<\/a> went 15-2, defeating the <a data-clubhouse-guid=\"3db556c9-ed76-a7a5-4ccb-a92fc6db4334\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/team\/_\/name\/min\/minnesota-vikings\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Minnesota Vikings<\/a> (14-3) on the last day of the regular season to claim the division title, and the <a data-clubhouse-guid=\"06cd3bcf-7a86-53d4-28e7-aa049dd36261\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/team\/_\/name\/gb\/green-bay-packers\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Green Bay Packers<\/a> won 11 games to get in as a wild card. But just like the 5-12 <a data-clubhouse-guid=\"19d73366-b5a5-cca2-a176-a2c024ce0bb3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/team\/_\/name\/chi\/chicago-bears\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chicago Bears<\/a>, none won a playoff game.<\/p>\n<p>The division race might be even tighter this season, with all four teams boasting solid rosters, but each also having question marks.<\/p>\n<p>The Lions are the favorite at +150, followed by the Packers (+260) and Vikings (+300), but even the Bears (+450) are well within shouting distance.<\/p>\n<p>How will things play out? Here are the season-long odds for the AFC North teams and our favorite bets.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>Betting previews:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/espn\/betting\/story\/_\/id\/45860970\/2025-afc-east-division-betting-preview-favorites-odds-standings-rankings-bets-props-analysis\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">AFC East<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/espn\/betting\/story\/_\/id\/45871617\/2025-nfc-east-division-favorites-odds-standings-rankings-bets-props-analysis\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">NFC East<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/espn\/betting\/story\/_\/id\/45956321\/2025-afc-north-division-betting-preview-favorites-odds-standings-rankings-props-analysis\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">AFC North<\/a><br \/><strong>Coming up:<\/strong> AFC South\/NFC South (Thursday)<br \/>AFC West\/NFC West (Friday)<\/p>\n<p>Best bets<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bears <a href=\"https:\/\/espnbet.app.link\/integrations?market_selection_id%5B0%5D=8794aaa5-4f64-4935-b05f-92ffa376a058&amp;odds_numerator%5B0%5D=51&amp;odds_denominator%5B0%5D=31&amp;%24canonical_url=%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Forganization%2Funited-states%2Fcompetition%2Fnfl%2Fsection%2Fseason-wins&amp;campaign=betting-integrations&amp;clr=espnbettingintegration&amp;%243p=a_espn&amp;customer_campaign=article&amp;%7Echannel=espn-content&amp;tags=NFL+betting\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">UNDER 8.5 wins (-155)<\/a> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.espncdn.com\/i\/espnicons\/SVG\/external.svg?w=10&amp;h=10\" width=\"10\"\/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Matt Bowen:<\/strong> I expect to see an improved Bears team in 2025 under new coach Ben Johnson, which includes the play of quarterback <a data-player-guid=\"dd15176c-3004-333f-beaa-149216c42968\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/player\/_\/id\/4431611\/caleb-williams\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Caleb Williams<\/a> behind an upgraded interior front. However, with a loaded NFC North slate and road games at Washington, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and San Francisco, the Bears will hover around the .500 mark at season&#8217;s end. Take the under here.<\/p>\n<p>Editor&#8217;s Picks<\/p>\n<p>2 Related<\/p>\n<p><strong>Packers <a href=\"https:\/\/espnbet.app.link\/integrations?market_selection_id%5B0%5D=0d156037-6210-47b6-acb0-23018c740cd3&amp;odds_numerator%5B0%5D=21&amp;odds_denominator%5B0%5D=11&amp;%24canonical_url=%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Forganization%2Funited-states%2Fcompetition%2Fnfl%2Fsection%2Fseason-wins&amp;campaign=betting-integrations&amp;clr=espnbettingintegration&amp;%243p=a_espn&amp;customer_campaign=article&amp;%7Echannel=espn-content&amp;tags=NFL+betting\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">OVER 9.5 wins (-110)<\/a> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.espncdn.com\/i\/espnicons\/SVG\/external.svg?w=10&amp;h=10\" width=\"10\"\/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Pamela Maldonado:<\/strong> Once <a data-player-guid=\"f19ea9a5-ca4d-79b9-3e49-543e438cd336\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/player\/_\/id\/4036378\/jordan-love\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jordan Love<\/a> got healthy, he showed real top-10 QB chops, finishing top five in EPA and yards per attempt on early downs despite leading the league in receiver error rate. The defense quietly leveled up under Jeff Hafley, climbing from 23rd to sixth in red-zone scores allowed per game. Now they&#8217;ll face a lighter QB slate after running one of the toughest stretches in the league last year. Coaching tweaks &#8212; more sneaks, less wasted motion &#8212; could flip close games. Green Bay won 11 in chaos. If things normalize, 10-plus wins feels less like the ceiling and more like Love at first sight.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vikings <a href=\"https:\/\/espnbet.app.link\/integrations?market_selection_id%5B0%5D=df101ff8-e201-476c-b7e5-ab01d17b2aeb&amp;odds_numerator%5B0%5D=5&amp;odds_denominator%5B0%5D=3&amp;%24canonical_url=%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Forganization%2Funited-states%2Fcompetition%2Fnfl%2Fsection%2Fseason-wins&amp;campaign=betting-integrations&amp;clr=espnbettingintegration&amp;%243p=a_espn&amp;customer_campaign=article&amp;%7Echannel=espn-content&amp;tags=NFL+betting\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">OVER 8.5 wins (-150)<\/a> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.espncdn.com\/i\/espnicons\/SVG\/external.svg?w=10&amp;h=10\" width=\"10\"\/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Eric Moody:<\/strong> <a data-player-guid=\"460fbf74-c64d-3862-b942-852d104e94dd\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/player\/_\/id\/4433970\/jj-mccarthy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">J.J. McCarthy<\/a> gets his shot after missing last season due to a preseason meniscus injury, and he&#8217;ll be throwing to one of the league&#8217;s best wide receiver duos in <a data-player-guid=\"c7fb1996-2530-7f98-9f2f-572debf989f4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/player\/_\/id\/4262921\/justin-jefferson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Justin Jefferson<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"7e13f346-0248-31d6-a4e7-8467003d0f8b\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/player\/_\/id\/4429205\/jordan-addison\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jordan Addison<\/a>, although <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/story\/_\/id\/45909344\/vikings-wr-jordan-addison-suspended-3-games-nfl\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Addison is suspended for the first three games<\/a>. The interior offensive line, one of the Vikings&#8217; biggest weaknesses last season, should get a boost from a healthy <a data-player-guid=\"46980e24-beeb-5c37-91dd-cc311f2b3c9f\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/player\/_\/id\/4045176\/will-fries\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Will Fries<\/a> and the addition of veteran <a data-player-guid=\"2a6694a5-680c-71a9-c843-8f83cd1ebb04\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/player\/_\/id\/2578475\/ryan-kelly\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ryan Kelly<\/a> and first-round rookie <a data-player-guid=\"e1dd2f9d-c20f-3d03-8a8a-0c5b0519d654\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/player\/_\/id\/4431553\/donovan-jackson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Donovan Jackson<\/a> to complement elite tackles <a data-player-guid=\"22a580a1-2538-03b5-deba-1ac038b42328\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/player\/_\/id\/4361985\/christian-darrisaw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Christian Darrisaw<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"3174a775-8518-2b80-2901-8d8dd6ad86a6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/player\/_\/id\/3123954\/brian-oneill\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brian O&#8217;Neill<\/a>. Pair that with defensive coordinator Brian Flores&#8217; creative defense and a deep, aggressively built roster, and the Vikings have the talent to remain a double-digit win team.<\/p>\n<p>NFC North odds<\/p>\n<tr>\n<p>Team<\/p>\n<p>Super Bowl<\/p>\n<p>Conference<\/p>\n<p>Division<\/p>\n<p>Wins (O\/U)<\/p>\n<p>Playoffs (Y\/N)<\/p>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"last\">\n<td><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/det.png\" width=\"40\"\/><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/><\/tr>\n<tr class=\"last\">\n<td><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/gb.png\" width=\"40\"\/><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/><\/tr>\n<tr class=\"last\">\n<td><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755706214_820_min.png\" width=\"40\"\/><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/><\/tr>\n<tr class=\"last\">\n<td><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/chi.png\" width=\"40\"\/><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/>\n<td\/><\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"7\">For the most up-to-date odds, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/espnbet.app.link\/integrations?market_selection_id%5B0%5D=06257a3b-6760-4def-9948-b47c260c12fc&amp;odds_numerator%5B0%5D=4&amp;odds_denominator%5B0%5D=3&amp;market_selection_id%5B1%5D=a68c78ff-e76d-4dbd-932b-28f4c0aabd33&amp;odds_numerator%5B1%5D=13&amp;odds_denominator%5B1%5D=2&amp;market_selection_id%5B2%5D=138b1629-ad2d-4ac9-a316-532758cd62ea&amp;odds_numerator%5B2%5D=9&amp;odds_denominator%5B2%5D=1&amp;market_selection_id%5B3%5D=9aa752b2-615e-48cf-bede-fe5373ce6b3d&amp;odds_numerator%5B3%5D=17&amp;odds_denominator%5B3%5D=1&amp;%24canonical_url=%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Forganization%2Funited-states%2Fcompetition%2Fnfl%2Fsection%2Ffutures&amp;campaign=betting-integrations&amp;clr=espnbettingintegration&amp;%243p=a_espn&amp;customer_campaign=article&amp;%7Echannel=espn-content\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ESPN BET<\/a>.\u00a0<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.espncdn.com\/i\/espnicons\/SVG\/external.svg?w=10&amp;h=10\" width=\"10\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<p><strong>2024:<\/strong> DET (15-2, 12-5 ATS), MIN (14-3, 12-5), GB (11-6, 9-8), CHI (5-12, 9-8)<\/p>\n<p>Did you know?<\/p>\n<p>Courtesy ESPN Research<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>The Lions are a +150 favorite to win their third straight division title. The Bears have the longest odds at +450, making the NFC North the only division in the NFL in which all four teams have odds shorter than +500 to win the division.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>The NFC North had a combined record of 45-23 (.662 win%.) last season, the highest combined win percentage by any division in a season since the 1970 merger.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a data-player-guid=\"ea011a11-6683-b299-50e2-f601bdd7172a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/player\/_\/id\/4372099\/aidan-hutchinson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Aidan Hutchinson<\/a>, the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, led the Lions in sacks (7.5) and QB hits (17) in 2024 despite playing only five games.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Including the playoffs, Green Bay had a combined record of 0-6 against the top three teams in the NFC (Lions, <a data-clubhouse-guid=\"d1a9b001-1df7-fbd7-ae4c-6ca7065286ec\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/team\/_\/name\/phi\/philadelphia-eagles\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Philadelphia Eagles<\/a> and Vikings). The Packers went 11-1 against all other teams, with the lone loss coming in Week 18 against the Bears when the Packers rested their starters for part of the game.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>At 22 years old, <a data-player-guid=\"460fbf74-c64d-3862-b942-852d104e94dd\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/player\/_\/id\/4433970\/jj-mccarthy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">J.J. McCarthy<\/a> is expected to be the youngest QB to start in Week 1 this season. The 2024 10th overall pick missed all of last season with a knee injury.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>The Bears&#8217; win total is 8.5 at ESPN BET. Over the past 12 seasons, the Bears have gone over their win total just one time (2018).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Aug 20, 2025, 10:10 AM ET The NFC North produced three playoff teams last season. The Detroit Lions&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":161495,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[1232,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-161494","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-nfl","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115061970075242151","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=161494"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161494\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/161495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=161494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=161494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=161494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}