Docs Website

53 Years Strong! A Trusted Leader In Sports Picks, Best Bets and Predictions Since 1971.

Main Menu

2024 Chicago Bears Predictions with Odds to Win the Super Bowl

by Ryan Cobbett - 7/31/2024

Chicago Bears predictions Caleb Williams

There were little expectations for the Bears to be good last season, and they weren’t. After finishing 7-10 on the year, they finished in last place in the NFC North division. Despite falling three games below .500, they managed to finish with just a -19-point differential on the season. Quarterback play was the glaring issue, as Justin Fields and Tyson Bagent were just not going to take this team to the playoffs.

Fields ranked 22nd in the league in passing yards last season and had a TD/INT ratio of 16/9. His 61.4% completion percentage also ranked near bottom of the league. The Bears did turn to Bagent after their atrocious start, but he was not the answer, either, as he threw six interceptions and only three touchdowns. Fields also led the Bears in rushing yards last season with 657, which was also second amongst quarterbacks, behind Lamar Jackson. He and D’Onta Foreman led Chicago in rushing touchdowns, with four each. Khalil Herbert was the leading back and ran for 611 yards and two touchdowns. Roschon Johnson added 352 yards on 81 carries to round out the committee. DJ Moore was the only bright spot on this offense, as the wideout finished the season with eight touchdowns and 1,364 receiving yards, both of which put him in the Top 10 in the league in those respective categories. Tight End Cole Kmet added 719 yards and six touchdowns, as he and Moore were the only two Bears receivers to record multiple receiving touchdowns and over 35 receptions.

Overall, the defense was not terrible. They held their opponents to 20 or less points in eight of the 17 games and ranked in the upper half of the league in YPG allowed. The glaring hole in this unit was the pass defense. They allowed an average of 237.8 YPG in the air, which ranked 25th in the NFL. The run defense was the best in the league, allowing just over 86 YPG, and they were the only team to allow less than 1,500 yards on the ground. Linebackers T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds led the team in tackles, as they two combined for 268 on the year. Safety Jaquan Brisker also tallied over 100 tackles, finishing with 105, while forcing two fumbles and breaking up nine passes. Edmunds, Tyrique Stevenson, and Jaylon Johnson were tied for the team lead in interceptions with four.

Doc’s Sports offers NFL expert picks for every game on our NFL predictions page.

Chicago Bears Key Additions/Losses

The Bears did not lose much this offseason, just some depth pieces they quickly replaced. Fields was sent to Pittsburgh, while Foreman and wide receiver Darnell Mooney have found new homes as well. On the defensive side of the ball, there is a big hole in the middle of the defensive line with defensive tackle, and former team leader in sacks, Justin Jones leaving as well.

They did add a lot of veteran pieces that more than replaced what left from last year’s squad. They boosted the pass game by adding Keenan Allen and Gerald Everett, strengthened the offensive line by adding center Ryan Bates, and improved their running back committee by adding D’Andre Swift.

Chicago Bears New Kids on the Block

The Bears had only five picks in the draft, but they may have had one of the best classes, which is easily accomplished with two Top 10 picks. Chicago fans, execs, and players alike hope they found their franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams, as they took him with the first overall pick. Williams was already inheriting Allen and Moore, but the Bears gifted him with college standout receiver Rome Odunze out of Washington. Odunze rounds out a wide receiver trio that ranks amongst the leagues best. They added some depth in the trenches on either side of the ball by drafting offensive tackle Kiran Amegadji out of Yale and edge rusher Austin Booker out of Kansas. To round out one of the best draft classes, the Bears added punter Tory Taylor, who proved the importance of punting during his time at Iowa.

Chicago Bears X-Factors

Caleb Williams- Chicago is heading into the new season with very high expectations for the rookie gunslinger. The fact that the NFC North may be the best division in the league adds all the more pressure on Williams’ shoulders. The Bears community as a whole is tired of poor play out of the quarterback, so Williams may have an unfairly short leash in terms of his fans. It helps that the young quarterback has a lot of players around him on that offense and a reliable defense to fall back on.

Chicago Bears Notable Odds

Super Bowl Winner: +3500

NFC Champion: +1400

NFC North Winner: +300

To Make Playoffs: -104

NFL MVP- Caleb Williams: +5000

AP Offensive Rookie of the Year: +135

Chicago Bears Schedule Breakdown

Predicted Win Total: 8.5 Games

The Bears have five wins on their schedule at first glance, but five losses. Week 1 vs Tennessee, Week 5 vs Carolina, Week 8 @ Washington (coming off a Bye Week), and Week 10 vs New England, and Week 12 vs Minnesota. After the five wins, there are seven games that are toss-ups, with four of them being road games. @ Houston, @ Detroit, @ San Francsico, @ Green Bay, and vs Detroit all seem like losses. In order for the Bears to get over their projected win total, they would need to go 4-3 in the toss up games or steal one of their losses, which is no easy task against four playoff teams on the round. They run into trouble because of the strength of their division. Minnesota is a question mark, but the Packers and Lions are trending upwards and will likely be the top two in the division, meaning the Bears would need far exceed reality to fare well.

Chicago Bears Predictions

I think the Bears wrap up the season improving on their record, but just by one game. They are not better than the Lions or Packers and could easily split with Minnesota, giving them a 1-5 record in the division. If that is the case, they would need to go 8-3 outside of the division, and those road games to Houston and San Francisco seem like definite losses. Williams may be the long-term answer, but this team is still a few pieces away from being a playoff-caliber team. Though this is one win total I am staying away from, if I had to pick, I would choose the under 8.5 thanks to poor division play.

Get NFL picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bet premium picks by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.

 

Most Recent NFL Handicapping

One E-mail A Week Is All You Need!
Our weekly newsletter is loaded with exclusive free picks,insight and advice from our expert handicappers