The NFC North features several teams that saw their fortunes drastically change in 2023. In one of the most interesting divisions in football, we come into this season wondering which teams will rise to the top of the standings this year and whether or not any drastic changes will take place again in 2024. Here, we look at the state of the NFC North, and give you our NFL betting picks in the NFC North futures markets.
NFC North Futures Betting Odds
| Team | NFC North Odds |
| Detroit Lions | -500 |
| Minnesota Vikings | +550 |
| Green Bay Packers | +1200 |
| Chicago Bears | +100000 |
Detroit Lions
For the first time in a long time, the Detroit Lions won the NFC North, as we predicted at the start of last season. Detroit was the class of this division by a wide margin this year, with Jared Goff and Dan Campbell leading this team to 12 wins in the regular season. This year, there are high expectations for the Lions once again, expectations they have lived up to so far. The Lions have the best record in the NFC and could be the favorites to reach the Super Bowl in their conference.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings had a strange season in 2023. They came into the year with some hope that they could win the NFC North. But a season-ending injury to Kirk Cousins wrecked their hopes of a good year, as they sent out quarterbacks like Joshua Dobbs, Jaren Hall, and Nick Mullens in his place. This year, Sam Darnold is their starter, after rookie JJ McCarthy went down with a preseason injury. But that hasn’t stopped the Vikings from looking good this year, as they could contend for this division title that many were handing to Detroit at the start of the season.
Green Bay Packers
After a dynastic run at the top of the NFC North, the Green Bay Packers came into 2023 with the longest odds to win their division. That was understandable after Aaron Rodgers departed this offseason to become a member of the New York Jets. But Green Bay performed admirably last year, finishing second in the NFC North and making the playoffs as a Wild Card team, as Jordan Love looked good in his first full season as a starting quarterback. This year, the Packers have been impressive in overcoming early-season injury woes for Love, as they look like a playoff team again.
Chicago Bears
Entering this season, there was a lot of hype surrounding the Chicago Bears. They have moved on from Justin Fields and drafted Caleb Williams as their new starting quarterback with the first overall pick in this year’s draft. They also drafted a receiver for Williams in the top-10, bringing in Rome Odunze from Washington. But there have been substantial growing pains in Chicago this year, even if the future with Williams under center has a chance to be bright.
2024 NFC North Futures Prediction
This season, the Detroit Lions are likely to be the best team in the NFC North once again. But every team in this division has the potential to improve. The Packers should get better as Jordan Love continues to gain experience, the Vikings will get better with a full-time starting quarterback, and the Bears have completely transformed their franchise through the draft. That will make this division incredibly exciting in 2024 and beyond.
