NFL 2019 Win Totals: Over/Under Predictions For Packers, Bears, Vikings, Lions, NFC North Pick

The NFC North might be the best division in football. The Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers are all playoff contenders, while the Detroit Lions certainly have a chance to be competitive this season.

How many games will each NFC North team win in the 2019 NFL season? Below are predictions for the division, based on the latest over/under win totals at New Jersey’s FanDuel Sportsbook.

Chicago Bears: 9.5 Wins (+120 Over/-140 Under)

Predicting the Bears to miss the playoffs has become a popular pick after the team surprised with a 12-win 2018 campaign. Chicago won’t cruise to an NFC North title as they did a season ago, though their regression might be a little bit overstated. The defense will allow more than the league-leading 17.7 points per game it surrendered last year, but the offense should be better. Mitchell Trubisky showed significant improvement from his rookie season, and the quarterback could have a lot of success in year No.2 in Matt Nagy’s offense. It’s just tough to bet on the Bears winning double-digit games in such a competitive division.

Prediction: Under

Green Bay Packers: 9 Wins (-110 Over/+110 Under)

Simply having Aaron Rodgers no longer guarantees the Packers a winning season. Green Bay only won six games last year when the quarterback played all 16 games. Rodgers has started to deal with more injuries as he gets older, and he doesn’t have the array of weapons he once did. Green Bay spent big money in the offseason to improve a defense that’s never among the league’s best. The 2018 Titans’ offense doesn’t inspire much confidence that rookie head coach Matt LaFleur will thrive in year No.1.

Prediction: Under

Minnesota Vikings: 9 Wins (-120 Over/+100 Under)

The Vikings haven’t finished below .500 since the 2014 season. They’ve got more talent than most teams on defense, as well as at wide receiver. The offensive line was the biggest issue a year ago. If drafting center Garrett Bradbury with their first-round pick and moving Pat Elflein to guard can allow the unit to even be average, Kirk Cousins can come close to justifying the contract he signed a year ago.

Prediction: Over

Detroit Lions: 6.5 Wins (-130 Over/+110 Under)

Prior to last year, the Lions had a winning record in three of four seasons. Detroit hadn’t won fewer than seven games since the 2012 season until they went 6-10 in Matt Patricia’s first year with the team. The Lions will play a last-place schedule, giving them very winnable games against the likes of the Cardinals and Giants. Difficult matchups with the Chiefs, Chargers, Cowboys will all take place in Detroit. If the Bears come back to earth, a seven-win season is definitely within reach for the Lions.

Prediction: Over

Division Winner: Vikings