Early Preview of the NFC North Over/Unders
The NFC North will look a little different this year with the departure of Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers, but the Packers still look to be in the driver seat to come out of the NFC North according to DraftKings.com. To get a better idea of where each team stands, I went through and chose the over/under for each NFC North team.
Chicago Bears: Under 6.5 (-120)
Well, at least the Bears don’t have to worry about a quarterback carousel this year. The Bears are committed to Justin Fields under center this year, but the weapons surrounding him (outside of Darnell Mooney) may put a damper on what should have been an exciting year for Bears fans. Their backfield is their strongest position on offense, consisting of David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert, but it remains to be seen how much they rely on the two running backs throughout the season.
The Khalil Mack and Akeim Hicks era is over in Chicago, ending what was once one of the best defenses in the NFL a few years ago. Over the past few years the defense has progressively gotten worse and that doesn’t seem to be changing this year. The Bears have the 24th hardest schedule this year according to SI.com, but this team has too many holes to make it above seven wins this season.
Detroit Lions: Under 6.5 (-105)
This offseason was a busy one for the Lions, drafting defensive end Aidan Hutchinon with the third overall pick and wide receiver Jameson Williams with the 12th pick. They also signed receiver D.J. Chark to improve a lonely wide receiver room that really only consisted of Amon-Ra St. Brown last year.
The Lions certainly improved this offseason and have the 28th hardest schedule, but I still don’t have much faith in quarterback Jared Goff. While I expect the Lions to win more than three games like they did last season, I also expect them to sit comfortably towards the bottom of the NFC standings.
Minnesota Vikings: Over 9 (-115)
Jul 30, 2021; Eagan, MN, United States; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) talks to the wide receivers at training camp at TCO Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Going into every year that involves Kirk Cousins, it’s a question of whether or not you’re going to drink the “Kool-Aid”. Cousins has moments where he makes you look brilliant, then he turns around and makes you question how much you know about football. After saying all that, I’m going to drink the aforementioned, “Kool-Aid”.
The Vikings went 8-8 last year and could have very well reached double-digit wins, losing four games by three points or less. They are also coming off a season where they had the fifth hardest schedule in the NFL, but they are positioned to have the 20th hardest schedule this year. With wide receiver Justin Jefferson going into his third season and a healthier offense and defense, Cousins has a good chance at his second double-digit win season of his career.
Green Bay Packers: Over 11 (-110)
To much of the chagrin of every other fanbase in the NFC North besides the Packers, Aaron Rodgers did not retire or leave the NFC North. However, he did lose his top target in Adams, which will most likely shake up the Packers’ offense. Both of the Packers’ running backs, Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillion, are in line to get more work out of the backfield with the Packers’ wide receiver depth getting shallower.
As of now, the Packers have the 22nd hardest schedule for the 2022 regular season. With Rodgers still under center, a much improved defense and a fairly easy schedule, the Packers should have no problem getting over the 11-win threshold.
