The Chicago Bears look forward to the 2021 season with a lot of fresh faces. They have three potential starting quarterbacks, one of which is a Super Bowl winner. They’ll be heading into their fourth season under Head Coach Matt Nagy. The team finished second in the NFC North in 2020, even with an 8-8 record. Although there wasn’t much cohesion between the group a playoff berth was huge for the Bears. However, it didn’t amount to much once they went into the Wild Card game.
Unfortunately for the Bears, the team they had to face was the New Orleans Saints. The Saints are a formidable opponent in the NFC and easily beat the Bears, 21-9. This concluded the Bears 2020 season gave them something to build on. The starting position at quarterback was the biggest question in the offseason. Frankly, the question still hasn’t been answered. Now, they have Andy Dalton, Justin Fields, and Nick Foles to choose from. Regardless of who makes the start though, Chicago will look for a better outing in 2021.
2021 Chicago Bears Futures Betting Odds
Chicago Bears Super Bowl Champion Odds: +5000
Chicago Bears NFC Champion Odds: +2000
Chicago Bears Win Totals Odds: Over 7.5 (-115) / Under 7.5 (-115)
Chicago Bears NFC North Champion Odds: +550
The Bears are in a tough division now that the Minnesota Vikings have revamped their defense. Chicago finished with an 8-8 record last year, but that won’t cut it in 2021. The remaining teams in the division have found ways to fix their teams, and Chicago still has one big question. The question being, who’ll make the start at quarterback. Each of their options has had success at the position, just to varying degrees. One of the best college prospects heading into the draft was Justin Fields, but he’s still young.
If they start Fields, they could end up in the same position they were in with Mitchell Trubisky. A young quarterback that isn’t quite ready for the NFL. Instead of throwing Fields to the wolves, they’ll likely have him develop behind Andy Dalton. Dalton is a seasoned veteran that could fit well in the Bears system. The biggest question surrounding Dalton is his consistency. As far as the odds are concerned, the Bears winning the NFC Championship is a longshot. It’s also very unlikely that they’ll have a chance winning the NFC North in 2021.
2021 Chicago Bears Offseason Grade: B-
Key Additions: (TE, Jesse James), (RB, Damien Williams), (WR, Marquise Goodwin), (QB, Andy Dalton)
Key Departures: (DB, Kyle Fuller), (DB, Buster Skrine), (OT, Charles Leno)
The Chicago Bears made a lot of moves to strengthen their team in the offseason. They did so without losing very many players either. The addition of Jesse James at the tight end spot gives the Bears a lot of depth at the position. Not only do they have James, but also Jimmy Graham and Cole Kmet. They added Damien Williams to the running back group of David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen.
The Bears bringing in Andy Dalton was a great move for the Bears. One of their biggest struggles in 2020 was solidity at the quarterback position. With Dalton, they gain a quarterback that they can trust. Sure, he doesn’t have the biggest arm in the NFL but he’s great at managing games. Obviously, the future of the Bears is with Justin Fields but being behind Dalton will only help his growth. Frankly, we doubt that we’ll see much of Nick Foles from the Bears this season.
Chicago Bears 2021 Preview
The Bears should have a similar showing in 2021 than they did in 2020. They’ll also likely have some growing pains. Ironing out the offense with a new quarterback isn’t an easy task. Their success this season could end up being overshadowed by the remaining teams in the conference. The Bears also have a very tough schedule in 2021. Their strength will get tested right from the beginning with the first game of the season against the L.A Rams. We expect the Bears to close the season with a 7-10 record.
Chicago Bears Futures Best Bets
With the schedule being as tough as it is, we expect the win total to go under 7.5. Taking the Chicago Bears to win the division or win the conference is a waste of money. There are much better teams to take in those categories. Focus on the under 7.5 wins total and claim some winnings on the Bears this season.
