Bears’ odds to win NFC North jump with 2-0 start

It’s still incredibly early in the season, but the Bears’ 2-0 start to the regular season could be beneficial to them later in the year.

Since 2007, roughly 55 percent of NFL teams who have started the year off at 2-0 have made it into the playoffs. With the expansion of the playoff bracket from 12 teams to 14 teams, the possibility of sneaking in as either a divisional winner or a wild card team is greater than it was in previous years.

The first two weeks are hardly the right time to make definitive statements regarding how good or bad a team is, but it’s an enjoyable exercise to see if the postseason could be in the cards for Chicago after missing out in 2019.

The Bears are currently tied for the lead in the NFC North with the Packers at 2-0, with Green Bay holding the tiebreaker due to their beating two division rivals compared to Chicago’s one. The Vikings and Lions sit in a tie for last place at 0-2, with the Lions losing the tiebreaker due to their losing to two divisional foes.

Said start for each of the respective four franchises in the division has already made an impact on how bettors view the race for first place playing out.

Before Week 1, the Bears’ odds to win the NFC North averaged at +393, which was slightly better than the Lions’ odds (+494), but still a far cry from the Packers (+181) and Vikings (+165). After Sunday’s win at home against the Giants, though, their odds have improved to +250, giving them the second-best odds in the division.

While the Vikings entered the regular season as the division favorites according to the average odds, their chances have since grown bleaker with their 0-2 start to the season. They find themselves still in the hunt at +506, but they’re currently far removed from the Bears and the Packers, the latter even more so.

The Lions have had the worst odds since the odds started being tracked on Mar. 3, but as has been the case with Minnesota, their odds have worsened due to their winless start to the year. In the span of just two weeks, their odds have risen from +494 to +1400.

While the Bears and Packers both have the same record through two weeks, the Packers are still the heavy favorites at -155 to win the NFC North. This admittedly makes plenty of sense, seeing as though Green Bay has scored more than 40 points in each of their victories and have handily defeated two divisional foes, whereas the Bears have only won their matchups by a combined 8 points. However, with a matchup with the Saints on the horizon for Week 3, one would have to wonder if a loss for the Packers would help the Bears’ odds out a little bit.