What a difference a weekend makes.
The Chicago Bears have a new quarterback in Justin Fields, and suddenly, a franchise that looked uninspiring a few days ago has hope.
Chicago traded up to the No. 11 spot in the NFL Draft to select Fields, who threw 63 touchdown passes to nine interceptions at Ohio State.
Bears GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy have said that Andy Dalton remains the 2021 starter.
But based on Illinois sportsbook odds, there is reason to believe Fields will get a shot at some point — and perhaps quite soon.
Justin Fields over/under props
PointsBet Sportsbook, the official sports betting partner of the Bears, has over/unders for Fields’ season-long stats.
All Illinois sportsbooks have Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, but PointsBet is the only book with individual props.
Here they are:
- Passing yards: Over/under 3,000.5
- Passing touchdowns: Over/under 15.5
The market is only available in Illinois.
As previously mentioned, this will hinge on how long the Bears will stick with Dalton.
If the Bears started Fields for 12 games and he averaged 250 passing yards per game, he’d have 3,000 passing yards for the season. So, these odds suggest that Fields will be the starter for the majority of the season.
Justin Fields Rookie of the Year props
Here are Fields’ Offensive Rookie of the Year odds at five of Illinois’ online sportsbooks. William Hill doesn’t have odds listed.
At all five, Fields has or is tied for having the second-shortest odds of anyone to Trevor Lawrence. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Lawrence first overall.
- PointsBet: +500
- FanDuel: +500
- DraftKings: +600
- Barstool: +600
- BetRivers: +600
At DraftKings, Barstool and BetRivers, Fields is tied with 49ers QB Trey Lance. San Francisco took Lance third overall, though he will likely start the season behind Jimmy Garoppolo.
Jets QB Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick, is third at FanDuel and behind Lawrence, Fields and Lance everywhere else. Wilson was the second quarterback taken and figures to be the Week 1 starter, so make of that what you will.
The Chicago odds appear to suggest that Fields was a steal for the Bears. He was the fourth quarterback chosen and likely won’t be the Week 1 starter, yet he’s the second-most likely pick to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Bears in the mix to win the NFC North?
While the Fields trade was a significant development, it wasn’t even the most important NFC North news of the weekend.
Reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers has reportedly told Packers’ teammates that he doesn’t plan to return to Green Bay next season. The Packers have said they won’t trade Rodgers, so a standoff could be brewing.
Green Bay made the NFC Championship game last season, and if Rodgers returns, they could cruise to another NFC North crown.
But if the Packers decide to deal him — or if he simply decides not to show up — the division could be up for grabs.
Here are the current NFC North odds at FanDuel:
- Green Bay Packers: -130
- Minnesota Vikings: +260
- Chicago Bears: +300
- Detroit Lions: +2,400
It looks to be a three-team race, and if Jordan Love winds up being the Packers’ starter, the race could get extremely interesting.
