It took heroic comebacks against the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons, but the first place Chicago Bears are 3-and-0 in the NFL. They also almost blew a game to the winless New York Giants in the middle.
You can only play the teams in front of you, but the Bears’ performances against teams with a combined 1-and-8 record hasn’t impressed bookmakers around the country. Some sportsbooks haven’t even budged their future price to win the Super Bowl.
PointsBet Sportsbook was dealing the Bears at 40-to-1 to win it all two weeks ago and at quick check, that price is still available right now. Apparently, bookmakers aren’t too afraid of Matt Nagy’s new starting quarterback Nick Foles. Mitch Trubisky was benched in the third quarter of Sunday’s game in Atlanta.
“If I was running a book, I wouldn’t move the price at all,” longtime Vegas oddsmaker Dave Sharapan told NBC Sports.[[ad:athena]]
“Despite the pandemic and everything else, the Bears at most sportsbooks in Vegas are still a top five or top seven team in tickets placed. So you still have the preseason money on them. Nick Foles is now the starting quarterback, which doesn’t make them a Super Bowl contender in most bookmakers’ opinions. So they’re still willing to take your bets at a higher price”
When it comes to to the divisional markets, the prices are pretty telling too. PointsBet has Green Bay as the favorite to win the NFC North at -176. So you have to bet $176 to win $100. Chicago is second at +250, then it’s Minnesota +900 and Detroit +1100.
Are the Bears a better team with Foles under center?
“Initially, it improves them a little bit on the point spread because I feel safer with Foles at quarterback when it comes to not turning the ball over,” Sharapan explained. “With Trubisky, they were so prone to turning the ball over or missing wide open targets. Maybe with Foles they’ll turn the ball over less. My rating might change a point. Maybe. But that’s it.”
Sharapan’s initial comment on our phone call was my favorite part and I usually try and save the best for last. His response to my question about why most sportsbooks haven’t dropped the Bears price at all made me laugh out loud.
“Sammy, do you think they’re going to win the Super Bowl?!”
Nope, not me.
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