The NFC North produced three playoff teams last season. The Detroit Lions went 15-2, defeating the Minnesota Vikings (14-3) on the last day of the regular season to claim the division title, and the Green Bay Packers won 11 games to get in as a wild card. But just like the 5-12 Chicago Bears, none won a playoff game.
The division race might be even tighter this season, with all four teams boasting solid rosters, but each also having question marks.
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.
How will things play out? Here are the season-long odds for the AFC North teams and our favorite bets.
Betting previews: AFC East | NFC East | AFC North
Coming up: AFC South/NFC South (Thursday)
AFC West/NFC West (Friday)
Best bets
Bears UNDER 8.5 wins (-155) 
Matt Bowen: I expect to see an improved Bears team in 2025 under new coach Ben Johnson, which includes the play of quarterback Caleb Williams 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’s end. Take the under here.
Packers OVER 9.5 wins (-110)
Pamela Maldonado: Once Jordan Love 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’ll face a lighter QB slate after running one of the toughest stretches in the league last year. Coaching tweaks — more sneaks, less wasted motion — 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.
Vikings OVER 8.5 wins (-150)
Eric Moody: J.J. McCarthy gets his shot after missing last season due to a preseason meniscus injury, and he’ll be throwing to one of the league’s best wide receiver duos in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, although Addison is suspended for the first three games. The interior offensive line, one of the Vikings’ biggest weaknesses last season, should get a boost from a healthy Will Fries and the addition of veteran Ryan Kelly and first-round rookie Donovan Jackson to complement elite tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill. Pair that with defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ creative defense and a deep, aggressively built roster, and the Vikings have the talent to remain a double-digit win team.
NFC North odds
2024: DET (15-2, 12-5 ATS), MIN (14-3, 12-5), GB (11-6, 9-8), CHI (5-12, 9-8)
Did you know?
Courtesy ESPN Research
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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.
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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.
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Aidan Hutchinson, 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.
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Including the playoffs, Green Bay had a combined record of 0-6 against the top three teams in the NFC (Lions, Philadelphia Eagles 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.
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At 22 years old, J.J. McCarthy 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.
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The Bears’ 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).
