The Chicago Bears went into 2024 with excessive expectations after deciding on quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 total after which including receiver Rome Odunze at No. 9, giving the rookie signal-caller a formidable set of pass-catching weapons. However after beginning 4-2 whereas averaging 24.7 factors per recreation, the Chicago offense flat-lined following the Week 7 bye, averaging simply 11.8 factors throughout a 10-game shedding streak that head coach Matt Eberflus did not survive.
Now, the Bears are going into 2025 with excessive expectations once more because of the person who changed Eberflus: former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Seen because the jewel of the teaching carousel over the previous couple of hiring cycles, Johnson takes the reins in Chicago after his Detroit offenses completed prime 5 in yards and factors in every of his three seasons as OC. The Lions went from 3-10-1 to 9-8 in Johnson’s first season working the offense, and the hope is {that a} related bounce is in retailer for Chicago.
Johnson’s remaking of the offense began on the inside of the offensive line, the place the Bears introduced in three completed veterans in heart Drew Dalman through free company and guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson through commerce. Mixed with a pair of high quality tackles in Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright, the offensive line has an opportunity to be a key power for Chicago, very like it was for Johnson in Detroit. And so as to add to the parallels between the 2 NFC North rivals, the Bears went out and spent the tenth total choose on a decent finish in Colston Loveland that seems to be an ideal match for Johnson’s scheme, then added one other pass-catcher within the second spherical in Luther Burden. The extent of expertise on offense might be among the many finest within the league offered Williams can progress from final yr’s shaky debut season, and the person in control of making it work has been the most effective offensive minds in soccer the previous couple of years.
We will take a fast have a look at the Bears’ 2024 season and the remainder of their offseason strikes earlier than moving into their monitor report in NFL futures over the past 5 years. After that, yow will discover the chances obtainable at prime sportsbooks for his or her 2025 win whole together with Super Bowl and playoff odds in addition to key participant props to know. Lastly, we’ll check out the professionals and cons of betting on the Bears in 2025 and provides out our greatest bets.
2024 Chicago Bears season assessment
- Common season: 5-12 (Final, NFC North)
- Playoffs: Missed
- 10-game shedding streak (tied for longest shedding streak in a season in staff historical past)
- Ranked final in whole offense for first time since 2004
- Fired head coach Matt Eberflus after 4-8 begin
2025 Chicago Bears offseason assessment
| QB | Case Keenum | ||
| RB | Darrynton Evans | Kyle Monangai (7) | |
| WR | Keenan Allen, DeAndre Carter, Collin Johnson, Nsimba Webster | Olamide Zaccheus, Devin Duvernay, Miles Boykin, Maurice Alexander | Luther Burden (2) |
| TE | Gerald Everett, Marcedes Lewis | Durham Smythe | Colston Loveland (1) |
| OL | Teven Jenkins, Matt Pryor, Coleman Shelton, Larry Borom, Jake Curhan | Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, Joshua Miles | Ozzy Trapilo (2), Luke Newman (6) |
| DL | Byron Cowart | Grady Jarrett | Shemar Turner (2) |
| EDGE | Darrell Taylor, DeMarcus Walker, Jacob Martin | Dayo Odeyingbo | |
| LB | Jack Sanborn | Swayze Bowman | Ruben Hyppolite (4) |
| CB | Nick McCloud, Shaun Wade, Nahshon Wright | Zah Frazier (5) | |
| S | Jaylon Jones, Adrian Colbert, Douglas Coleman | Alex Prepare dinner | |
| STAFF | Matt Eberflus (HC), Shane Waldron (OC), Eric Washington (DC) | Ben Johnson (HC), Declan Doyle (OC), Dennis Allen (DC) |
5-year futures odds and traits
| 2024 | +3500 | 8.5 | Beneath | 5 | 4th, NFC North |
| 2023 | +5000 | 7.5 | Beneath | 7 | third, NFC North |
| 2022 | +14400 | 6.5 | Beneath | 3 | 4th, NFC North |
| 2021 | +6600 | 7.5 | Beneath | 6 | third, NFC North |
| 2020 | +5000 | 8 | Push | 8 | L, Wild-card spherical |
Historic betting knowledge through Professional-Soccer-Reference.
2025 Chicago Bears futures odds
| Go Over win whole | 8.5 (+110) | 8.5 (+125) | 8.5 (+105) | 8.5 (+135) |
| Go Beneath win whole | 8.5 (-135) | 8.5 (-150) | 8.5 (-125) | 8.5 (-160) |
| Win Tremendous Bowl | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 | +4400 |
| Win NFC | +1800 | +2000 | +1900 | +2100 |
| Win NFC North | +500 | +490 | +450 | +550 |
| Make playoffs | +155 | +165 | +160 | +190 |
| Miss playoffs | -190 | -200 | -195 | -240 |
| Win No. 1 seed | +1800 | +2200 | +2000 | +2600 |
Odds topic to vary.
2025 Caleb Williams props
| MVP | +3000 | +3300 | +2800 | +3700 |
| Offensive POY | +6000 | +6000 | +7500 | +10000 |
| Most go yards | +3000 | +2500 | +2600 | |
| Go yards O/U | 3550.5 | 3550.5 | 3550.5 | 3525.5 |
| Go TDs O/U | 22.5 | 23.5 | 23.5 | 22.5 |
Odds topic to vary.
Causes to again the Bears
An offense that completed twenty eighth in scoring has an opportunity to make a serious leap if Williams lives as much as his No. 1 total choose draft standing, even with the potential to complete among the many finest groups within the league. The Lions went from twenty fifth in scoring in Ben Johnson’s remaining season as tight ends coach to fifth the next yr, and the largest modifications on offense have been drafting Penei Sewell and getting a full yr from Frank Ragnow. The Bears upgraded at three offensive line spots and added a pair of pass-catchers to an already stable nucleus.
The protection must also be in good palms with Dennis Allen, who took the Saints from being backside two in factors scored in his first two seasons to ending no decrease than 14th over the subsequent seven years. Like on offense, the unit options expertise at every degree, from the defensive entrance with Montez Sweat, Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett, to linebacker with Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, to the secondary with Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon and Kevin Byard. It is a unit that has the expertise to compete with the high-powered offenses within the division and assist the staff play .500 ball or higher within the NFC North.
Causes to fade the Bears
All of the items are there on offense however relaxation on the event of Williams at quarterback, and that is not a given contemplating how a lot he struggled as a rookie whereas main the league in occasions sacked whereas solely throwing six interceptions, displaying an inclination to not be aggressive sufficient eliminating the ball and ready too lengthy for the proper passing alternative to come up. It may additionally take time for the reworked offensive line to gel and if Williams is getting pressured on the similar degree early within the yr as he was final season, he might be at risk of slipping again to outdated habits and struggling to get issues proper in the course of the week-to-week march of the season.
The schedule is about as robust as it may be for a last-place staff, as Chicago’s non-common opponents embody street journeys to a 49ers staff prone to rebound and an improved Raiders squad. Throw in six matchups with playoff groups simply of their division and one other 5 towards the NFC East and AFC North — together with all 4 video games towards the Eagles, Commanders, Ravens and Bengals approaching the street — and this can be a staff that’s going to should combat arduous simply to make it above .500 except every little thing clicks shortly.
The way to wager the Bears in 2025
- Over 8.5 wins +135 (FanDuel)
- Make playoffs +190 (FanDuel)
- Caleb Williams Over 3525.5 passing yards -114 (FanDuel)
- Caleb Williams Passing yards chief +3000 (Caesars)
Regardless of the robust schedule, I am shopping for in on the Bears to take a giant leap this season. The offense appears to be like prefer it may problem to be the very best within the league relying on Williams, who ought to see significantly better safety up entrance and shall be throwing to an excellent deeper set of pass-catchers than he did final yr. Johnson ought to have the ability to win shootouts when he has to, however there’s additionally the potential of the protection to be a top-10 unit as properly. Even when they end as little as twentieth, I see this as being a staff with 10-win potential who may even problem for a division title relying on how the uncertainty shakes out throughout the remainder of the division, explicit in Detroit with the lack of coordinators and in Minnesota with J.J. McCarthy taking the reins. The +190 value to make the playoffs is among the higher worth bets on the board for me.
I additionally imagine Williams may see his numbers shoot by means of the roof after throwing for 3,541 yards final yr. Jared Goff averaged not less than 261 yards per recreation in every of Johnson’s three season as offensive coordinator after averaging 231.8 in his first season with Detroit. Williams averaged 208.3 yards per recreation final yr, so if he makes it by means of a complete season wholesome then all he’d should do is match that’s get Over the whole of 3525.5. If he misses just a few video games, he can nonetheless recover from the quantity by attending to Goff’s degree of manufacturing per recreation, and if he can keep wholesome whereas elevating his recreation, he may problem to guide the league in passing yards as Johnson does not have the identical speeding assault to depend on in Chicago as he did in Detroit.
