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Chicago Bears 2008 NFL Regular Season Wins Total Odds
The Chicago Bears 2008 NFL regular season wins total odds have been set at -130 UNDER 8 at Bookmaker.com. The payout should the Chicago Bears win more than 8 games is going to be even odds (meaning that a $100 bet would pay out $100). Oddsmakers are leaning slightly towards the Bears winning fewer than 8 games.
Chicago finished dead last in their division last season. The Bears rebounded from a 5-11 last-place finish in coach Lovie Smith's first season as coach in 2004 to claim NFC North Division crowns with marks of 11-5 in 2005 and 13-3 in 2006.
"We've been in this situation before, so it's not new to us," Smith said. "We've been in last place and we've climbed that mountain. So that's the message going in. It's always good to be the underdog. Right now most people are counting us out. We like that position."
Perhaps the biggest obstacle the Bears will have to overcome is the quarterback controversy that has ensued even during the time in which Chicago made it to the 2006 Super Bowl.
Bears quarterbacks Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton will resume their competition for the starting job in training camp. The battle could last well into the preseason with an emphasis on how the two veterans perform against live defenses.
"You can't judge an awful lot right now," Smith said. "The guys have done what we've asked them to do. There's been a lot of great mental work going on, but we have to get them in a situation where there's real pressure on them and grade them more on that. If you asked me right now, I would say that the competition is even."
One thing that will not happen is Brett Favre joining the team as Green Bay made it clear this past weekend that Favre will not be released from his contract.
The Under 8 total regular season wins in 2008 may not be a bad bet, according to some. One would have to lay $130 to win $100 on the Under, which isn't necessarily a huge risk (the $130 original bet is paid back only if the Bears win less than 8 regular season games in 2008).
The offense may be abysmal, according to Walter Cherepinsky of WalterSports.com, who predicts the Bears will win a mere 4 games this upcoming season.
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I have every reason to believe that the 2008 Bears could challenge that Seattle squad as having the worst scoring unit in modern-day history. Seriously, I can't think of one redeeming quality Chicago has in its offense. Starting at quarterback, Lovie Smith will see who sucks less between Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton to determine who the starter is. Does it really matter? Grossman has more upside because of his arm strength, but he can't make reads, his accuracy is abysmal and he can't stay healthy. Grossman has more career picks (33) than touchdowns (31), and is infamous for his fumbling woes. Grossman actually played well at times in 2007, however, going 66-of-116, two touchdowns, one interception and three fumbles in his final full three games of the season. But of course, Grossman suffered a knee injury in Week 14 and missed the rest of the year.
So, what about Orton? The Purdue product has a good shot to win the starting gig because he's way more careful with the football. But if the Bears fall behind? Forget about it. Orton's arm strength rivals that of a 12-year-old girl's. Actually, now that I think about it, Smith should rotate quarterbacks in and out depending on the score. If Chicago is ahead, let Orton milk the clock, convert third downs and take care of the football. If Chicago is behind, allow Grossman to bomb it downfield.
Seems like an effective plan based on how horrid the signal callers are, but there's one problem - there aren't receivers for Grossman to throw to. The team's two leaders in receiving yards, Bernard Berrian and Muhsin Muhammad, are both gone. That's 111 receptions, 1,521 yards and eight touchdowns the Bears will have to replace with bums like Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd. Once upon a time, Booker registered back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Since 2003, however, Booker has never had more than 747 yards. His production dropped to 556 yards and one touchdown in 2007. Booker will be 32 in August, so I can't see him reverting to his former self.
The Chicago Bears odds to win the NFC North was set at +270 (a $100 bet would pay out $270). Their odds of winning the NFC Championship was listed at +1600 for a $1600 payout on every $100 bet. The Chicago Bears odds of winning the 2008 Super Bowl came in at +3200 for a $3200 win on a $100 bet. All odds courtesy of Bookmaker.com - which was offering a 20 percent signup bonus at press time July 14, 2008
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Dan Shapiro, Gambling911.com
Originally published July 14, 2008 9:56 am EST
