Bettors aren’t expecting a massive jump out of the Bears in 2022.
The Bears are slowly but surely trending in the right direction.
They have a young quarterback in Justin Fields, some solid young pieces on both sides of the ball, a new head coach in Matt Eberflus, and a new general manager in Ryan Poles. They’ve made some intriguing moves this offseason, but bettors don’t believe those moves will result in immediate progress.
According to Sports Betting Dime, their odds to win the 2023 Super Bowl are currently listed at +10000, tying them for the fifth-worst odds in the NFL. Other teams who hold the same odds include the Falcons, Panthers and Giants.
Chicago isn’t the lowest-rated team in the NFC North, as the Lions have worse Super Bowl odds at +15000. That said, the current projections would see them finish as one of the worst teams in the NFL, guaranteeing them at least a top-10 pick.
A changing of the guard in the coaching staff could provide for some long-term optimism surrounding the Bears, and they do face an easier schedule on paper than they did last year. That said, it’s clear this team is a major work in progress.
The Bears’ offense isn’t really better from a personnel perspective — on paper, one could make the argument they’ve gotten worse. There is the potential of the likes of Justin Fields, Darnell Mooney and Teven Jenkins to look forward to, but the weapons look pretty thin for Fields in his second season in the NFL.
It shouldn’t come as a bold take that the Bears aren’t expected from a national perspective to make the playoffs. Ryan Poles will require some time to shape the roster in his image, and while there’s reason to be optimistic going forward, it seems unlikely those results start to show themselves immediately.