NFC North Odds, Predictions, Betting Picks 2024: Lions Odds Balloon Up After Jordan Love’s Injury

• The Detroit Lions survived an overtime thriller against the Los Angeles Rams in their season opener

• Lions odds to win the division skyrocketed after Jordan Love suffered an injury

• Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears offense struggled mightily against the Titans' defense

After entering the year as the betting favorite to win the division, the Detroit Lions managed to squeak out the win in an overtime thriller against the Los Angeles Rams. Their defense flashed improvement at various points of the game while their offense continued to flex their abundance of weapons at various positions. Head coach Dan Campbell continued to make questionable decisions in critical situations, yet the Lions still looked every bit of a Super Bowl contender.

As for the rest of the division, the Green Bay Packers Jordan Love suffered a heartbreaking injury on the second to last play of the game against Philadelphia on Friday night. Fortunately, it was reported he might only have to miss a minimum of three weeks, yet their division title hopes are in jeopardy should they fall too far behind during his absence. With the Packers suffering a setback, both the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings received a bump in their current odds to win the division.

NFC North Odds 

Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook. Place your bets at FanDuel and claim the bonus: Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets plus three weeks of NFL Sunday Ticket.

NFC North Predictions and Favorites to Win 

After the injury to Jordan Love, the Detroit Lions became the clear-cut favorite to win their second straight division title.

Chicago Bears (+400) at FanDuel

While the Bears did manage to get the win over the Tennessee Titans, it was not exactly an aspiring performance from Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears offense. Williams finished his debut throwing for a measly 93 yards on 29 attempts, while the Bears as a whole generated just 148 total yards of offense. It took a blocked punt for a touchdown and a pick-six for the Bears to beat the Titans, creating more question marks surrounding the legitimacy of the Bears moving forward.

Heading into week two, we should get a clearer picture of where the Bears may be in terms of being an actual competitive unit as they face off against the Houston Texans. They can not continue to rely on just their defense to do the scoring, desperately needing help from their offense in order to be a more well-rounded unit. That falls on Caleb Williams shoulders as the offense will only go as far as he can take them as their number-one overall pick.

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Green Bay Packers (+600) at Caesars

After finishing the second half of last year as one of the hottest teams in the league, the Green Bay Packers entered this season with plenty of intrigue as a division contender. That was until Jordan Love suffered a scary injury at the end of their contest against the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil, now leaving the Packers prone to missing out on the playoffs should they dig themselves too deep in a hole during his absence.

Initial reports have Love missing out on anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks of play, thrusting Malik Willis into the starting role. While Willis has yet to make an impact since getting drafted, he does bring an intriguing dual-threat presence for the Packers when under center. The issue for the Packers' offense moving forward is that opposing defenses will get the benefit of stacking the box until Willis can show he can throw at a productive level. With uncertainty looming over the Packers, pass on their current odds to win the division.

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Minnesota Vikings (+675) at Caesars

Arguably one of the biggest surprises in week one, the Minnesota Vikings looked unscathed after an injury-filled preseason as they routed the New York Giants to the tune of 28-6. While the Giants are not exactly an ideal candidate to measure their success against, it was still impressive to see Sam Darnold move the ball down the field with ease as he finished the contest throwing for 208 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

While the win was a step in the right direction for a team projected to regress, expectations should be tempered until we see how they look against a more competitive unit. They get the opportunity to see how they stack up against one of the best teams in the league next week as they are set to face off against the San Francisco 49ers who are fresh off of a dismantling of the New York Jets. Pass on the Vikings' current odds for now, but continue to monitor them should they maintain their high level of play.

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Who Will Win the NFC North - My Pick 

Detroit Lions (-145) at FanDuel

It was anything but easy for the Detroit Lions in their season opener, narrowly escaping with a win in overtime against the Los Angeles Rams. Their revamped secondary was tested against one of the better pass attacks in the league, yet they looked far better than their near-dead-last marks in coverage at the end of last season. Their pass rush was especially impressive, routinely crashing the pocket against an injury-riddled Rams offensive line.

Not only did their win solidify their position as a deserving betting favorite to win the NFC North, but the injury to Jordan Love also opens the door for the Lions to build a sizable lead over their closest contender for the division title. Speaking of injuries, the Lions are in desperate need of another pass catcher as they are dangerously thin at receiver. Should either Amon-Ra St Brown or Jameson Williams get injured, then the Lions offense will take a major step back with a drastic drop-off in pass production.

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NFC North History

Since its inception in 2002, the NFC North has been in large part dominated by the Green Bay Packers. From Brett Favre, to Aaron Rodgers, and now Jordan Love, the Packers have fielded elite teams that have been head and shoulders above the rest of the division. Their early years of dominance may be behind them though as the rest of the NFC North has quickly improved with the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions winning the past two division titles. The Lions are the favorite to win it again this year, potentially being the first to repeat since the Packers did it in 2020-2021. Should Caleb Williams live up to the hype right away, then the Bears can potentially contend to win the division for the first time since 2018.

Past NFC North Winners

How to Choose the Best Sportsbook for Betting on the NFC North

Having access to multiple sportsbooks is more vital than ever for a multitude of reasons. Starting with their listed odds, they can wildly vary between each sportsbook as shown in the table below. The Detroit Lions for example can be found as high as -155 at Caesars and as low as -145 at FanDuel. That is a difference of $10 in profit for a $100 bettor should they win the NFC North at their lowest listed odds.

Another benefit of having access to multiple sportsbooks is that they all have their own unique signup bonus. BetMGM sportsbook for example is giving new users up to $1,500 back in the form of bonus bets should they lose their first wager with the WSN promo code WSNSPORTS. More info on the Best NFL Betting Sites can be found in our comprehensive guide.

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How to Read NFC North Winner Odds

When making any type of wager, it’s vital to know how the listed odds work. Should you wager on the Packers in the preseason at +230, then a $100 wager would profit you $230 should they win the NFC North. If you decide to wait until they get out to a lead and bet on them at lower odds like -130 for example, then you would need to wager $130 to profit $100 if they win the division title.