Chicago Bears Over Under Wins:
A 3-1 start last season had Chicago jazzed about Matt Nagy and the future, but it didn’t take long to nosedive in the NFC North. This season they get the Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints in out-of-division games, and it’s difficult to envision the team entering any of those four as the favorite. The trip to Los Angeles to tackle the Rams will also be a stiff test.
Chicago Bears 2020 schedule
Sept. 13 at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET
Sept. 20 vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET
Sept. 27 at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. ET
Oct. 4 vs. Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET
Oct. 8 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:20 p.m. ET (FOX/NFL Network/Amazon)
Oct. 18 at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET
Oct. 26 at Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Nov. 1 vs. New Orleans Saints, 4:25 p.m. ET
Nov. 8 at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET
Nov. 16 vs. Minnesota Vikings, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYE
Nov. 29 at Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Dec. 6 vs. Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET
Dec. 13 vs. Houston Texans, 1 p.m. ET
Dec. 20 at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. ET
Dec. 27 at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET
Jan. 3 vs. Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m. ET
2019 record: 8-8
Last playoff appearance: 2018
PointsBet over-under for Bears wins: 8
FLM projects: 7 wins
Upset watch: The Bears were an NFL-worst 4-12 against the spread in 2019. Expectations for a division title defense dwindled early. But there’s still potential for the Bears to regain the roar, and most of the optimism for a resurgence is rooted in a defense with an abundance of talent in the front seven. Chicago is 5-19 against the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers but has held up relatively well — with multiple chances to win in the fourth quarter.
Longshot wager: Mitchell Trubisky has a lot working against him, including Nagy ally Nick Foles, entering the season. But he’s talented enough to win the starting job, and considering Foles’ injury history, he should play at some point. At 100-1 via PointsBet, he could pay off huge as a roll-of-the-dice MVP bet.
Detroit Lions Over Under Wins
Somehow the Lions landed the fifth-most difficult schedule based on 2019 results, with opponents generating a .525 winning percentage. In a must-win season for head coach Matt Patricia, it’s now or never. When considering whether this could be the Lions’ year, note the franchise hasn’t hit 10 wins since 2014 and lost all eight wild-card playoff chances since 1991.
Detroit Lions 2020 schedule
Sept. 13 vs. Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. ET
Sept. 20 at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m. ET
Sept. 27 at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. ET
Oct. 4 vs. New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. ET
BYE
Oct. 18 at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET
Oct. 25 at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. ET
Nov. 1 vs. Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET
Nov. 8 at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. ET
Nov. 15 vs. Washington Redskins, 1 p.m. ET
Nov. 22 at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET
Nov. 26 vs. Houston Texans, 12:30 p.m. ET
Dec. 6 at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. ET
Dec. 13 vs. Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m. ET
Week 15 at Tennessee Titans, TBD
Week 16 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, TBD
Jan. 3 vs. Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m.
2019 record: 3-12-1
Last playoff appearance: 2016
PointsBet over-under for Lions wins: 6.5
FLM projects: 5 wins
Upset watch: The New Orleans Saints are built for the indoor environs of Ford Field, but it’s a good course of action to apply the “Stafford Rule” to at least one game per season, when the conditions are ripe for the rifle-armed quarterback to go bananas and put the Lions in position to win a game they probably shouldn’t. Likewise, the Saints aren’t above playing to the level of competition under Sean Payton.
Longshot wager: Cornerback Jeff Okudah, the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, is not one of the favorites for Defensive Rookie of the Year at 16-1 (PointsBet). Bet on the Lions to make improvement on defense, and if Okudah can make a few game-turning plays, he’ll be in this conversation.
Green Bay Packers Over Under Wins
As a 13-win team that won the NFC North over only one real contender — the Minnesota Vikings — there is more resistance coming for the Packers in 2020. But Aaron Rodgers remains the class of the division at the position, and Green Bay’s defense more than held its own most of the year.
Green Bay Packers 2020 schedule
Sept. 13 at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. ET
Sept. 20 vs. Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET FOX
Sept. 27 at New Orleans Saints, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Oct. 5 vs. Atlanta Falcons, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYE
Oct. 18 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4:25 p.m. ET
Oct. 25 at Houston Texans, 1 p.m. ET
Nov. 1 vs. Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. ET
Nov. 5 at San Francisco 49ers, 8:20 p.m. ET (FOX/NFL Network/Amazon)
Nov. 15 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET
Nov. 22 at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET
Nov. 29 vs. Chicago Bears, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Dec. 6 vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET
Dec. 13 at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET
Week 15 vs. Carolina Panthers, TBD
Dec. 27 vs. Tennessee Titans, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Jan. 3 at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. ET
2019 record: 13-3
Last playoff appearance: 2019
PointsBet over-under for Packers wins: 9
FLM projects: 11 wins
Upset watch: The Packers are going to be favored at Lambeau Field in almost any scenario this season as long as Rodgers is upright. But AFC runner-up Tennessee coming to Green Bay could be a dogfight based on the physical style of play on both sides of the ball from the throwback Titans. It’s the same smashmouth style that exposed the team at San Francisco last season.
Longshot wager: Maybe the Packers didn’t draft well enough, and maybe the lopsided losses to the San Francisco 49ers are still meaningful one year later. But at 30-1 to win the Super Bowl, we are willing to let a few bucks ride on Rodgers ending his season in Tampa.
Minnesota Vikings Over Under Wins
With a healthy Dalvin Cook and a defense fueled by a dynamic pass rush, the Vikings are going to be in almost every game. Mike Zimmer has built a team that won’t beat itself. There is still sufficient doubt over whether quarterback Kirk Cousins can win critical games on the road.
Minnesota Vikings 2020 schedule
Sept. 13 vs. Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m. ET
Sept. 20 at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET
Sept. 27 vs. Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET
Oct. 4 at Houston Texans, 1 p.m. ET
Oct. 11 at Seattle Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Oct. 18 vs. Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. ET
BYE
Nov. 1 at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m. ET
Nov. 8 vs. Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET
Nov. 16 at Chicago Bears, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Nov. 22 vs. Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. ET
Nov. 29 vs. Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET
Dec. 6 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET
Dec. 13 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET
Dec. 20 vs. Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. ET
Dec. 25 at New Orleans Saints, 4:30 p.m. ET (FOX/NFL Network/Amazon)
Jan. 3 at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET
2019 record: 10-6
Last playoff appearance: 2019
PointsBet over-under for Vikings wins: 9
FLM projects: 10 wins
Upset watch: Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers is no picnic, even though Minnesota has won three of the last four meetings at home. The Vikings are likely to be favored. But the Packers won at US Bank Stadium last season for the first time since 2015 and the recipe of ball control — Aaron Jones had 154 yards and two touchdowns — and pass rush lifted Green Bay over the top.
Longshot wager: Zimmer is 25-1 to win NFL Coach of the Year, or about 18th from the top, according to PointsBet. We’d take that action. Minnesota is also 25-1 to win the Super Bowl.
