NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bears were showered with love throughout the offseason.
Matt Nagy was crowned as the NFL’s best coach, while Ryan Pace was dubbed as the league’s top executive by his peers. Pace’s last four drafts have set the foundation for what could be something special, and Nagy’s steady hand is set to guide the team to greatness. All the positive vibes surrounding the 2019 Bears has unleashed unbridled optimism throughout the fan base. So much so, it has permeated the sports books in Las Vegas.
The public has spoken, and ESPN’s David Purdum reports the Bears are the most popular bet in town.
Between the Bears winning the Super Bowl (Caesars Palace has them at 9-1) being the most wagered thing leading into the season and quarterback Mitch Trubisky’s MVP odds being bet down from 200-1 to 50-1, the buzz is nuts. And while Vegas odds aren’t necessarily predictive of the future, the shift in public backing suggests the change in mindset among Bears fans. The optimism surrounding this team is unlike anything I have seen ever. From Bourbonnais to Sin City, the confidence this fan base has in this team is unrivaled. It’s full speed ahead on the Bears’ bandwagon, and there is always room for more.
Only the Browns can come close to sniffing what the Bears have cooking in Vegas. Their Super Bowl odds are at 10-1 (which is impressive, considering I picked up a futures bet at 20-1 last March) and quarterback Baker Mayfield is the only player who has brought in more MVP bets than Trubisky. Think back a year to where the Bears and Browns were when it came to futures odds. Chicago was 100-1 to win the Super Bowl and the Browns had even longer odds. Betting on Trubisky to win the MVP wasn’t even a consideration, while Mayfield was behind Tyrod Taylor on the depth chart. Both of these teams have skyrocketed in the eyes of the public … and with good reason.
I suppose the only thing left here is for a Bears-Browns Super Bowl with Trubisky and Mayfield leading the way behind MVP-caliber seasons. And even though every day is a reminder that the house always wins, Vegas knows it could be in a world of trouble if two championship-starved fan bases are rewarded with greatness this season.
