Chicago Bears Super Bowl odds have underlying meaning

What odds are you giving the Chicago Bears to not only make it to Super Bowl LV, but win it?

The question will result in a highly varying answer depending upon who you ask. Heck, even polling Chicago Bears fans alone, you’d get some stark, opposing opinions. Regardless, we now know what Vegas thinks.

Caesars Sportsbook has released some juicy numbers, finally. Whether or not we have an NFL season this year is still in question, but Vegas is still doing its thing — and Bears fans should be encouraged.

Let’s just revisit last year quickly. The Bears went 8-8 a year after winning the division and fell flat on their face when you hold up the expectations set after 2018. But, in 2020, hope seems to be alive once again.

The latest odds have the Bears at 25-1 to make the Super Bowl in 2021. By comparison, the favorites are the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs at 4-1. A few other notable odds laid out were the Baltimore Ravens (8-1), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with newly-acquired Tom Brady (17-1), the New England Patriots without Brady (20-1) and Chicago’s bitter rival, the Green Bay Packers (16-1).

Focusing on Super Bowl odds might be too broad of a mindset, right now, because if you look closer, the Bears have a great shot at the playoffs — and that’s where we should start.

Put it this way: The Bears’ over/under for 2020 is set at 8.5. Meanwhile, the Packers are set at the exact same number — interesting, right?

If you’re trying to think like Vegas thinks, what is it that they’re seeing? Maybe it’s that the NFC North divisional games are historically tough. These four teams are always in for intriguing bouts. But, this is supposed to be Aaron Rodgers we’re talking about, here.

Or maybe, just maybe, Vegas is more focused on the name Nick Foles when it comes to the NFC North — not Rodgers. The way I see it, the Packers’ win total should be set, realistically, at around 9.5. Truthfully, I think they’re a 10 or 11-win team.

But, now with Foles in Chicago, is this a sign that Vegas thinks he’ll give Chicago the edge they’ve needed?

He’s an upgrade over Mitchell Trubisky, but not an exponential upgrade. The defense is what will win the Bears games this season. Foles is just going to have to do what Trubisky couldn’t do — enough.

That’s it. Foles simply has to be enough for the Bears to win games. He doesn’t have to be an All Pro. He doesn’t have to throw 40 touchdowns. I think Foles is the secret sauce behind Vegas’ odds right now.

Think about it this way: If we were looking at a team with just Trubisky at the moment, what would the over/under be set at? My bet is that Vegas has them at least a full game lower. Foles is what puts them over the mark, just by a hair, and that’s something to be excited about.