The Chicago Bears looked poised to be the offseason favorites.
The Bears were pretty good at the end of last season, then had a spectacular offseason. They built their reception room. They selected quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. There is a lot of excitement in Chicago for this Bears season.
That enthusiasm doesn’t extend to the world of betting.
BetMGM offers odds for each NFL team to make or miss the playoffs. And most of the bets in that market are on the Bears missing the playoffs.
So much for that low season rumor.
Bettors think Bears will come up short
Whether you measure it by the number of bets or the amount of money, the most wagered playoff bet at BetMGM is for the Bears to miss the postseason. The odds on the Bears missing the playoffs are +105 (bet $100 to win $105).
There is also a consensus behind the Bears. The Jets, with odds of +120 to miss the playoffs, are the second most popular bet in the postseason betting market.
Skepticism about the Bears is not unwarranted. It’s always difficult to trust a rookie quarterback. There are plenty of new pieces the Bears can add. And the Bears play in the NFC North, which could end up being the toughest division in the NFL.
There is a lot going on against the Bears and that is why bettors are cautious.
Can the Bears make the postseason?
The enthusiasm for the Bears, at least among Chicago fans, began in the second half of last season. The Bears started 2-7. That changed with a 5-3 finish, and all three losses were competitive against the Lions, Browns and Packers. If the Bears had won a Week 18 game against the Packers to keep them out of the playoffs, as the Lions did a year earlier, there would have been a more noticeable buzz about their offseason. That they lost the ending silenced him a little.
But there are still reasons to like the Bears this season. Williams is a fantastic prospect. Between DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, Chicago has a really good receiver room. The defense may still need some work, but it improved as last season progressed.
There’s a lot to like about this Bears team, although they could be good and still not make the playoffs due to a tough division. That’s part of why bettors believe they’ll miss the postseason.
The Bears look like a team that was more likely to go the other way and be the bettors’ favorite. They had a lot of big moves and are a popular franchise with a huge fan base. There was excitement about them since last season ended. Generally all of that leads to some positive bets. But bettors aren’t ready to buy yet.