Chicago Bears Vegas Odds: Season outlook for Williams, Moore, Allen, more |
Nothing shows the hope there is surrounding the Chicago Bears this season quite like the Vegas Odds put out recently from BetOnline.com. Their odds give Chicago a 44.4 percent chance of making the playoffs and a 3-1 shot of winning the division. They also gave the Bears a 40-1 shot of winning the Super Bowl.
These numbers are significantly higher than they have been for the Bears in previous years. Oddly, BetOnline.com also has the over/under for total wins at 8.5. However, with a schedule that includes facing the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots, even in the tough division the Bears are playing in, it certainly seems the Bears will get over 8.5 wins. Further, if they are going to win the division, they will most likely need at least ten wins. If head coach Matt Eberflus is going to win Coach of the Year, Chicago will certainly have to get more than 8.5 wins, another reason to take the over on that bet. Eberflus also has a decent chance of winning Coach of the Year going into this season at 8-1, certainly higher than it has been the past two seasons. With the talent that he has brought in the past few years, including rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and receivers DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, it is understandable why bettors have high hopes for him being the top coach in the league. Bettors also have high hopes for Williams. He is currently the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year with 3-2 odds. His odds of winning Most Valuable Player (MVP) are also pretty decent at 33-1. A Chicago Bears quarterback has not won MVP in the modern era. In fact, back in 2022, Justin Fields was the first Chicago quarterback to get any votes for MVP. Clearly, bettors see Williams turning the dismal quarterback history the Bears have around. However, the odds are not in his favor to become the first Chicago quarterback with at least 4,000 passing yards, as his over/under is currently 3,500.5 yards. With all of the talent he has between Moore, Allen, rookie Rome Odunze, tight end Cole Kmet, and running back D’Andre Swift, who displayed his pass-catching abilities during his time with the Detroit Lions, Williams can hit the over on passing yards. Perhaps Williams’ over/under is also a reflection of the over/under for his two veteran receivers. Despite both having over 1,200 receiving yards last season, they are both projected to be under 1,000 yards this season. Moore has an over / under of 950.5, while Allen has an over / under of 825.5. Moore has gone over 1,000 yards in four of his six NFL seasons despite the quarterbacks he was surrounded by with the Carolina Panthers and four games with Tyson Bagent starting at quarterback last season. Allen has also gone over 1,000 yards in five of the last seven seasons. While having two elite receivers means they will each probably get fewer targets than they are used to, Allen was No. 5 in the NFL last season in yards per touch, while Moore had 539 yards after the catch last season. Therefore, they are both players who can hit the over in receiving yards. One long shot that may be worth the risk for bettors is cornerback Jaylon Johnson for Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY). While DPOY has been more of an award for pass rushers as a cornerback has not won the award since Stephon Gilmore did in 2019. Johnson could change that this season. In 2023, he had his best season, a year that got him a lucrative contract and his first Pro Bowl nod. He was also named a second-team All-Pro but was snubbed off the Top 100 Players list. While that list truly does not have any value, having the respect of his fellow NFL players is something that is important to Johnson, and clearly, he does not have that league-wide respect. During training camp, he has been better than ever, not letting Allen catch on to him, which is quite a feat. He also dropped a few interceptions last season; surely, Johnson has made an effort to ensure that does not happen this year. The combination of elite talent, motivation, having a good secondary around him, and having a chip on his shoulders is a strong combination for a promising year that could garner him the DPOY.
