Looking at the NFL betting odds to win the NFC North Division in 2020 and predicting the exact order of the standings.
The Green Bay Packers rolled to a 13-win season en route to an NFC North Division crown in 2019, but will they be able to repeat? Below, we look at the BetMGM betting odds for the NFC North Division in 2020 and make our best bets for who’ll win the division title and predict the exact order of the division standings.
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Saturday, May 23 at 12:30 a.m. ET.
2020 NFC North Division bets: Who will win?
Odds to win the division: Packers +160 | Minnesota Vikings +160 | Chicago Bears +650 | Detroit Lions +850
The Vikings have a couple of tough games to negotiate early in the season, particularly road games at the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks. Minnesota is actually the only NFC North team to play three divisional games in three successive weekends – Week 8 through 10 – and that’s never an easy task. But Minnesota’s home schedule sets up nicely. After hosting the Packers in Week 1 and the Tennessee Titans in Week 3, five of the remaining six U.S. Bank Stadium games are against teams not expected to make the playoffs: Week 6 vs. the Atlanta Falcons, Week 8 vs. the Lions, Week 11 vs. the Dallas Cowboys, Week 12 vs. the Carolina Panthers, Week 13 vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars and Week 15 vs. the Bears. In fact, after Tennessee visits Sept. 27, Minnesota does not face another 2019 playoff team at home. Of course, the NFL landscape and win-loss records change dramatically, but right now Minnesota’s SOS (strength of schedule) doesn’t look terribly daunting. The VIKINGS (+160) are the play here – every $10 wagered profits $16 if they win the North.
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2020 NFC North Division bets: Who will finish second?
Odds: Packers +175 | Vikings +175 | Bears +300 | Lions +550
The Packers won the division last season at 13-3, but were they really THAT good, or was the schedule just overly favorable? We’ll find out this season, as they have a murderer’s row to start. Five of their first eight games are against 2019 playoff teams, plus there’s a game vs. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Trips to the New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers and Tampa are brutal, as well as an opener in the Twin Cities, which will get them off on the wrong foot. The Packers could be 2-6 through the first eight games, but don’t eat and drink yourselves into a beer and cheese stupor, Pack fans. I believe this team has the talent and stick-to-it-iveness to rattle off eight straight wins in the final eight games to get themselves back into the playoffs. After it’s wheels up from San Francisco Thursday, Nov. 5, the rest of the sked is a breeze. Home wins over Jacksonville, Chicago, the Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina will have Aaron Rodgers & Co. thinking playoffs again. The key to their season might actually be a Week 16 home game against Tennessee Dec. 27, which could make or break the season. Play the PACKERS (+175) here.
2020 NFC North Division bets: Who will finish third?
Odds: Bears +175 | Vikings +280 | Lions +300 | Packers +310
The Bears added QB Nick Foles as the Monsters of the Midway hope Saint Nick is the answer to their prayers. Spoiler alert – he’s not. The Bears still needs a lot of work before they’re going to overtake the Packers and Vikings, and this number of +175 isn’t very friendly for someone to take a chance … even with a small-unit wager. Just no value here. The Bears “should” be able to cobble together a 3-3 record through the first six games, and the back end of the schedule sets up favorably for a potential 4-1 finish. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the middle of the schedule features a trip to meet the Los Angeles Rams, a home date with the Saints, a roadie against the Titans, a Monday home date with the Vikings, a road trip to the Packers (after the bye, at least) and a home game against the Lions. Chicago could lose all of those games and be in freefall. If the Bears surprise in one or two of them, a winning season is within reach. I’m still going to AVOID betting on a third-place prop.
2020 NFC North Division bets: Who will finish fourth?
Odds: Lions -159 | Bears +225 | Vikings +800 | Packers +1000
Poor Lions. The prognosticators are picking them to be the caboose in the NFC North, and who am I to argue with them? The front and back end of the schedule is not set up well for the boys in Honolulu Blue and Silver, although there will be some excitement in the middle. The road schedule isn’t too terribly demanding, but these are the Lions, and there are never any slam-dunk wins. QB Matthew Stafford is coming off a serious back injury, too, so that’s a major concern for the fortunes of Detroit’s season. He was playing at an MVP-caliber level before going down in 2019, though. The home schedule sees New Orleans and Tampa Bay coming in, as well as division toughies Green Bay and Minnesota, so Detroit will be lucky to get to .500 at home. Even with the juice, betting the LIONS (-159) to finish last is worth a small wager – every $1.59 wagered would profit $1 if they do so.
2020 NFC North Division bets: Exact order of standings
The exact order of the standings should be Vikings (12-4), Packers (10-6), Bears (7-9) and Lions (6-10). As such, backing a VIKINGS-PACKERS 1-2 FINISH (+325) is very, very attractive.
You can also bet PACKERS/VIKINGS TO FINISH TOP 2 IN ANY ORDER (+110), and that should be a slam-dunk play. If you like what you see above, the exact order of finish (1st Vikings, 2nd Packers, 3rd Bears and 4th Lions) pays +500.
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