In Chicago, as in many NFL cities, the offseason brings hope, plausible or otherwise. And this year, the hope is more plausible than it’s been, as the Bears beef up their defense and add weapons for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
Las Vegas isn’t buying what the Bears are selling. The Bovada odds as to the chances of winning the NFC championship have the Bears tied for the bottom, at 40-1. (The Cardinals, also at 40-1, remain who we thought they were.)
At the top, to no surprise, are the 5-1 Eagles, following by the 6-1 Packers. The Vikings and Rams each have 7-1 odds of making it to the Super Bowl.
The presence of two NFC North teams in the top four surely influences the lack of confidence in the Bears. The presence of the Falcons and Panthers in the NFC South likely has contributed to the surprising lack of faith in the Saints, who surprisingly are at 10-1.
Vegas believes in the 49ers, moving then to 11-1, with the Seahawks dropped all the way to 20-1.
What do these numbers mean for the teams? Plenty, if they can help a coach fashion a narrative of disrespect.