2023 NFC North Preview, Betting Odds and Predictions

NFC North Division Odds

Market	Detroit Lions	Minnesota Vikings	Chicago Bears	Green Bay Packers
Win Total	9.5 (o -120 / u EV)	8.5 (o -130 / u +110)	7.5 (o -130 / u +110)	7.5 (o -115 / u -105)
Make Playoffs	-165	EV	+160	+180
Miss Playoffs	+140	-120	-190	-210
NFC North	+140	+275	+400	+400
NFC	+1100	+1800	+3000	+3000
Super Bowl	+2200	+3500	+5000	+6500

Odds Courtesy of DraftKings as of Thursday, July 20

Detroit Lions

Overview

After almost making the playoffs last season, there is a ton of hype surrounding this Lions team entering the 2023-24 season. They have an eccentric head coach, an offense with firepower and a capable defense. Detroit finds itself as favorites to win the division for the first time in quite some time. Are the lofty expectations warranted? Time will tell, but on paper, it does seem as if the Lions have the best team they have had in a while.

Key Additions & Departures

Coaching Changes:

The Lions did not make any changes to their coaching staff.

Key Additions/Re-signings:

Drafted RB Jahmyr Gibbs, LB Jack Campbell, TE Sam LaPorta, S Brian Branch, QB Hendon Hooker, DT Brodric Martin, OT Colby Sorsdal, and WR Antoine Green.
Acquired K Riley Patterson from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2026 seventh-round draft pick.
Signed WR Marvin Jones Jr. to a one-year, $3 million contract.
Signed G Graham Glasgow to a one-year, $4.5 million contract.
Signed DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson to a one-year, $8 million contract.
Signed DB Emmanuel Moseley to a one-year, $6 million contract.
Signed RB David Montgomery to a three-year, $18 million contract.
Signed DB Cameron Sutton to a three-year, $33 million contract.
Re-signed LB Alex Anzalone to a three-year, $18.75 million contract.

Key Departures:

Lost RB Jamaal Williams.
Lost WR DJ Chark.
Lost S Deshon Elliott.
Lost CB Mike Hugghes.

2023 Outlook

While the Lions are better all-around than they have been in a long time, Jared Goff is still a question mark at QB. He is capable of making plays within the structure of the offense, but when plays break down, he is not so reliable. Also, this defense should be improved due to some free agent signings, but there is no guarantee this unit, which was one of the worst in football, all of a sudden becomes a strength. Lastly, though he is a media darling, and clearly, the players do play hard for him, whether or not Dan Campbell is a good head coach is still up for debate. Don’t get me wrong – the Lions should look and play better than the bottom-dwellers they have been before last season, but should we be giving them the NFC North crown already?

Detroit starts off its season at Arrowhead before returning home for games against the Seahawks and Falcons. Then they go to Green Bay, come home for Carolina, go to Tampa and Baltimore, then come home to play the Raiders. Then they have their bye, and then they head to Los Angeles to play the Chargers, back home for Chicago and Green Bay, on the road to New Orleans and Chicago, then back home for the Broncos. Detroit finishes their season in Minnesota, at Dallas, then at home vs. the Vikings.

The NFC North is expected to be one of the worst divisions in football, and Detroit can either take advantage of the situation or look like the same old Lions. It seems like this team is on the come-up, but they will need to confirm that with their play. The Lions did a good job addressing needs, and the division is there for the taking.

Minnesota Vikings

Overview

A year removed from an NFC North crown and a playoff appearance, the Vikings are expected to regress. Their luck was well-documented last season, and their first-round exit solidified what most fans and pundits suspected: The 2022 Vikings were frauds. Minnesota’s front office could have fallen victim to thinking they had a good roster, but instead, they realized they needed to rebuild this team despite their success last year. Kudos to the front office for realizing that, but considering the Vikings’ lack of resources, this team did not appear to get better this offseason. Still, in a weak division and conference, the Vikings cannot be ruled out.

Key Additions & Departures

Coaching Changes:

Hired Brian Flores to be the defensive coordinator.

Key Additions/Re-signings:

Drafted WR Jordan Addison, CB Mekhi Blackmon, DB Jay Ward, DT Jaquelin Roy, QB Jaren Hall, and RB Dewayne McBride.
Re-signed C Garrett Bradbury to a three-year, $15.75 million contract.
Signed DE Marcus Davenport to a one-year, $13 million contract.
Re-signed K Greg Joseph to a one-year, $2 million contract.
Re-signed RB Alexander Mattison to a two-year, $7 million contract.
Signed DB Byron Murphy Jr. to a two-year, $17.5 million contract.
Signed TE Josh Oliver to a three-year, $21 million contract.

Key Departures:

Lost WR Adam Thielen.
Lost DT Dalvin Tomlinson.
Lost CBs Patrick Peterson, Cameron Dantzler, and Duke Shelley.
Lost TE Irv Smith Jr.

2023 Outlook

The Vikings could have fooled themselves into thinking they were truly elite last year, but they realized they weren’t and they opted to clean house. With Kirk Cousins under center and taking up so much of their cap, the Vikings are handcuffed in how many moves they can make. Even in such a weak division, the Vikings are a team expected to regress.

The Vikings start their season by hosting the Buccaneers, then they head to Philly, go to play the Chargers, then back to the East Coast for the Panthers before coming home to host the Chiefs. Then they head to Chicago, come home for the 49ers, go to Green Bay, then Atlanta, then back home for the Saints. After that, they head to Denver, back home for the Bears before the bye. After the bye, they are off to Vegas, and then Cincinnati, then they return home for the Lions and Packers. They then finish their season in Detroit.

Considering the lack of strength in the NFC North, the Vikings competing until Week 18 would not shock us. However, on a talent level, they are not as good as they were last year, and overall, as just not too strong of a team. With that being said, the Vikings are not devoid of talent by any means and they can keep things interesting all season long.

Chicago Bears

Overview

The Bears’ roster is certainly improved because they threw a ton of money at it, but that does not mean it is great. Still, the Bears are expected to take a step forward this season. Justin Fields has shown flashes and they tried to upgrade the talent around him, and their defense should be more competitive this upcoming season.

Key Additions & Departures

Coaching Changes:

The Bears did not make any changes to their coaching staff.

Key Additions/Re-signings:

Drafted OT Darnel Wright, DT Gervon Dexter, CB Tyrique Stevenson, DT Zacch Pickens, RB Roschon Johnson, WR Tyler Scott, LB Noah Sewwll, CB Terell Smith, DT Travis Bell, and S Kendall Williamson.
Re-signed QB Nathan Peterman to a one-year contract.
Signed RB D’Onta Foreman to a one-year, $3 million contract.
Signed TE Robert Tonyan to a one-year contract.
Signed LB T.J. Edwards to a three-year, $19.5 million contract.
Signed LB Tremaine Edmunds to a four-year, $72 million contract.
Signed G Nate Davis to a three-year, $30 million contract.
Signed RB Travis Homer to a two-year, $4.5 million contract.
Signed DE DeMarcus Walker to a three-year, $21 million contract.
Acquired WR D.J. Moore, the ninth and 61st overall draft picks in the 2023 draft, a first-round 2024 draft pick and a second-round 2025 draft pick from the Carolina Panthers for the first overall draft pick in the 2023 draft.

Key Departures:

Lost RB David Montgomery.
Lost OT Riley Reiff.
Lost LBs Nicholas Morrow and Matthew Adams.
Lost DE Al-Quadin Muhammad.

2023 Outlook

Is Justin Fields good enough to win playoff games with? That is the (multi) million-dollar question for Bears fans. Chicago opted not to draft any QB this year, and they decided that all Fields needed was an upgrade in the roster around him. When watching Bears games, it was tough to see Fields running for his life all the time, and their lack of skill position players was apparent, but so was his inability to make easy throws. Still, the Bears should be better this year, but how much better remains to be seen.

The Bears open their season at home vs. the Packers before heading to Tampa and Arrowhead. They come home for the Broncos, go to Washington, come home for the Vikings and Raiders, then go to Los Angeles for the Chargers before heading to New Orleans. They come home for the Panthers, go to Detroit, then Minnesota before the bye. After the bye, they go home for the Lions before heading to Cleveland. Then they come home for the Cardinals and Falcons, then end their season in Green Bay.

The Bears’ season is on Justin Fields’ shoulders. If he cannot elevate the team around him, it will look like the Bears made a massive mistake by not moving in a different direction. With that being said, if Fields does turn out to be good and if the defense improves, the NFC North is for the taking. It is an interesting time to be a Bears fan, and this season can either be great or terrible.

Green Bay Packers

Overview

Aaron Rodgers has led this team for the last decade-plus, but now the keys are officially handed over to Jordan Love. We have not seen Love play enough snaps to make an educated evaluation. The Packers still sport a great offensive line and a good defense, so expecting some positives from this team is not far-fetched. However, their coaching staff and front office raise a lot of questions, so time will tell if the Packers can quiet the naysayers.

Key Additions & Departures

Coaching Changes:

The Packers did not make any changes to their coaching staff.

Key Additions/Re-signings:

Drafted DE Lukas Van Ness, TE Luke Musgrove, WR Jayden Reed, TE Tucker Craft, DE Colby Wooden, QB Sean Clifford, WR Dontayvion Wicks, DT Karl Brooks, K Anders Carlson, CB Carrington Valentine, RB Lew Nichols, S Anthony Johnson, and Grant DuBose.
Re-signed CB Keisean Nixon to a one-year, $4 million contract.

Key Departures:

Lost QB Aaron Rodgers.
Lost WR Allen Lazard.
Lost DT Jarran Reed.
Lost S Adrian Amos.
Lost TE Robert Tonyan.

2023 Outlook

Even last year with Rodgers at the helm, the Packers made a conscious effort to run the football more so it is expected they do the same with Jordan Love. If Love turns out to be an average NFL starter, the expectations for the Packers are too low, in our opinion.

Green Bay opens its season in Chicago, and then they go to Atlanta before coming home for the Saints and Lions. Then they head to Las Vegas before their bye, and then after, they go to Denver before coming home for the Vikings and Rams. Then they go to Pittsburgh, back home for the Chargers, to Detroit, back home for the Chiefs, to New York for the Giants, then home for the Bucs. They finish their season In Carolina and Minnesota before returning home for the Bears.

Considering how bad the NFC North and NFC is in general, the Packers should not be ruled out of the division picture yet. With that being said, the range of outcomes for their 2023 season results is so wide. Their roster is good, their coaching is not and their QB is a gigantic question mark.

NFC North Betting Preview

Will the Lions be able to live up to their lofty expectations? How will Jordan Love perform in his first season at the helm in Green Bay? Have the Bears given Justin Fields enough weapons to work with in Chicago? GoldSheet’s Director of Analytical Content, Eric Pauly, joins Dan Alexander for a look at the NFC North as we begin to preview the 2023-24 NFL season from a variety of handicapping angles.

Other 2023-24 NFL Division Previews

NFC West

2023 Football GoldSheet

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