Chicago Bears Betting Preview: 2020 Schedule, Odds, & Predictions

Article Image

Illinois online sports betting is live, and you can get in on the action now at BetRivers. Here’s an NFL betting preview for the Chicago Bears, as we take a look at their 2020 schedule, futures odds, and make predictions for the upcoming football season.

Also read: Chicago Cubs 2020 MLB Betting Preview

gradient
  • $250 Match Bonus
  • Great Promos
  • IN, PA, CO and IL

This time last year, the Chicago Bears were a popular long(ish)shot Super Bowl pick with preseason MVP hype surrounding, not Lamar Jackson, but Mitchell Trubisky.

It all made sense at the time. The Bears were coming off a 12-4 season in Trubisky’s second season. The former no. 2-overall pick had just completed nearly 67% of his passes while throwing for more than 3,000 yards and tossing 24 touchdowns, all while rushing for 421 yards and three more scores.

Entering 2019, Trubisky was one of the most popular NFL MVP picks and his odds were as short as +1500 at some sportsbooks after opening at as long as +20000. Unsurprisingly, bettors’ confidence behind Trubisky also made the Bears the most popular Super Bowl bet at a handful of U.S. sportsbooks. It sounds preposterous now, but in mid-August the Bears were tied with the Saints as NFC favorites.

That all changed rather quickly. The Bears dropped their first game as Trubisky’s offense failed to find the end zone in a 3-10 loss to the Packers. It would take them three more quarters to get their first touchdown of the season, and a desperate fourth-quarter pass setting up a 53-yard field goal would save the Bears from starting 0-2.

They split their first two games, but NFL bettors’ taste soured.

The Bears would win their next two games before going on a four-game losing streak in October. By the end of the season, they would finish 8-8 and in search of, potentially, a new starting quarterback.

Clearly lacking confidence in the quarterback they once chose over Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, and Lamar Jackson, the Bears front office traded for Nick Foles, opening up a quarterback competition in Chicago between the former Super Bowl MVP and a 25-year-old who they once thought was the franchise’s answer to the most important position in sports.

So will the 2020 Bears look more like the 2019 Bears or the 2018 Bears? The answer will likely determine what side of the many 2020 NFL bets you can make on the Bears right now at RetRivers sportsbook. Before making predictions, let’s look at the Bears’ 2020 NFL schedule.

Chicago Bears 2020 NFL Schedule

gradient
  • $250 Match Bonus
  • Great Promos
  • IN, PA, CO and IL

Chicago Bears Betting NFL Preview and Futures Odds

Chicago Bears 2020 Season Win Total: Over/Under 7.5

If you ask oddsmakers, they’ll tell you to expect the Bears of last season. The silver lining a of 7.5 win total is that, if you’re a Bears fan, you can bet on your team and cash if they just go .500.

The good news for the Bears is that they did have a strong defense (8th ranked DVOA) despite relying very little on turnovers. In 2018, the Bears defense played at historic levels, ranking 1st in DVOA.

The bad news? Well, Trubisky nor Foles look to be above average quarterbacks; however, two stones are better than one. Regardless of who wins the starting job, the Bears will have back up plan, as both quarterbacks have proven good enough to win at least eight games.

With a little bit of luck on the defensive side of the balls and fewer turnovers from their quarterback (whoever it turns out to be), the Bears can easily go .500 in 2020.

To bet Chicago Bears Over 7.5 wins at BetRivers, click here!

Chicago Bears +425 to Win the NFC North

The NFC North sent two teams to the playoffs, neither of which were from Chicago, so it may be tough to believe but the Bears’ odds to win the NFC North are enticing. Mainly because there’s more uncertainty in the NFC North than some people expect.

The Packers went 13-3 last season but they weren’t near as good as their record suggests. They won a lot of close games, “coin flips” if you will, including one against the Bears. In fact, according to their point differential, the Packers looked more like an 8-8 team than a team that won 13 games.

As for the Vikings, there could be a lingering contract battle between Minnesota’s front office and star running back Dalvin Cook. Cook is looking for a lucrative, long-term deal, but like most teams these days, the Vikings are hesitant to cough up too much cash for a running back.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Cook would not participate in team activities until he received a reasonable extension. As of now, things are still up in the air.

Pick the Bears +425 to win the NFC North at BetRivers now!

gradient
  • $250 Match Bonus
  • Great Promos
  • IN, PA, CO and IL

Chicago Bears +4000 to Win the Super Bowl & +1100 to Win the NFC Championship

Neither of these bets is too appealing at this juncture in time. The Bears begin the season with a handful of winnable games before facing the Buccaneers in Week 5. It’s best to see what they do at Detroit in Week 1 and then against the Giants, Falcons, and Colts. If they lose one of those first two games, it could be a long season ahead. If they look good early, oddsmakers are unlikely to make any drastic adjustments, considering their caliber of opponents.

Remember to sign up at BetRivers to start placing your 2020 NFL futures bets!

Image Credit: USA Today Sports Images

About the Author

schmitto
Matt Schmitto (schmitto)

Matt Schmitto is an Organic Strategy Lead for Better Collective. He was introduced to daily fantasy sports in 2012 and soon became a member at RotoGrinders. Seven years later, Schmitto joined RotoGrinders Network full time as a staff writer shortly after the Supreme Court overturned PASPA. He has since covered important stories in the sports betting and fantasy sports industries for sites like SportsHandle and USBets and has had roles as a sports betting editor and commercial content manager. He continues to play DFS and loves placing Futures bets at sportsbooks. His favorite DFS sites are DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, and PrizePicks. Follow Schmitto on Twitter – @Matt_Schmitto