The final numbers for BN’s Blogathon are in! There were 54 total posts, something like 300 minutes of Periscope live-stream videos, 9 miles of walking, five Cubs transactions, and more than $18,000 raised in July for Make-A-Wish. I tip my cap to all involved. Now, let’s allow Brett to get some sleep.
The Chicago Bears (+190) are betting favorites to win the NFC North, according to the sports book at Caesars Palace. It makes you feel good about things when you see that, right? Everybody loves the Bears! Allow me to put it in perspective: A $100 bet at +190 would pay out $290 to the bet-maker should the Bears win the division. Sweet! Who doesn’t like free money? There is no need to dive too deep into what being a betting favorite means, just know that it’s worth noting that the perception of the Bears is good enough to where they have been installed as favorites to win the division. But let’s not sleep on the (ugh) Packers or (eye roll) Vikings, who aren’t that far behind (+200). In Vegas’ eyes, this division should be a dog-fight to the very end.
As a reminder ,Vegas odds aren’t predictive. Remember how the Bears were perceived in the world of oddsmakers at this time last year? They were long-shots to win the division and make the playoffs. Their projected win total was in single digits. There was plenty of money to be made for Bears backers last year, so I hope you cashed in while you could. Because if they stay on this path, they won’t be a value bet any time soon. Sigh. It makes me wish I could have cashed that 100-to-1 Super Bowl ticket I picked up in March 2018. I guess what wasn’t meant to be simply wasn’t meant to be.
The NFL is set up for parity to reign and for a team like the (sigh) Lions to go from worst-to-first in the blink of an eye. If you’re the type who likes to bet against your self-interests and cover yourself in case of a worst-case scenario, a $100 bet on the Lions to win the division pays out $800 on the off chance they make it happen. It would be cruel, but $800 in spending money could buy some consolation prizes (if that’s your thing). In the end, it will be on the Bears to handle business against the team at the bottom of the division to maintain their stay at the top. Never underestimate an opponent, even one as clumsy as the Lions.
You can’t predict football, but it would be hard to imagine the Bears easing up with Akiem Hicks leading the charge. In Adam Hoge’s “10 Bears Things” column at WGN Radio, Hicks explained how he maintains his hunger: “(I remember what it took to get to this point and then having the mindset that it’s not enough. And not to say that you don’t appreciate your accomplishments and it doesn’t mean that you don’t celebrate your small victories, but I tell myself, ‘What’s next for me?’ I would be doing myself a disservice to stop at any point. When I don’t have anything left is when I stop.” That’s the spirit, No. 96!
Hicks’ energy brings to mind a great internal debate I’m having, so I’ll share it with those of you reading this: Which Bears jersey should be my next purchase — Hicks or Eddie Jackson? Good luck picking between those two defensive stars!
There is a case to be made that the Bears’ deepest and most competitive position group is wide receiver, a spot that has been problematic for the team over the years:
How crowded is the receivers room? ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson believes the Bears might end up parting ways with a good receiver at the end of camp. Talk about having first-place problems. What was a position of weakness two years ago is now one of strength. But with great strength comes great responsibilities. In other words, the Bears need to be wise with how they build that room, who they bring onto the 53-man roster, and who they allow to walk away. Maybe there is a trade that could be worked out somewhere along the line if it gets to it? But before we cross that bridge, there are plenty of training camp reps and preseason snaps to be played.
Larry Mayer (ChicagoBears.com) has some encouraging words regarding the development of one of our favorite second-year players: “I think that receiver Javon Wims has had an excellent training camp to this point. He’s made some impressive plays in practice, even this past Monday when it rained throughout the session and other receivers were dropping passes in the slick conditions.” Finding playing time in a deep batch of receivers will not be easy, but Wims is doing everything possible to earn additional reps.
Zach Miller was a Trubisky Whisperer of sorts last year, but appears to be expanding his coaching expertise:
Good to see Zach Miller, the 2017 Bears Media Good Guy Award winner, here at practice. He’s watching the TEs go through individual drills. That’s Miller on the left in the navy T-shirt & orange shorts. pic.twitter.com/E9ydpVtKpk
Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.
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NEWSLETTER
