NFL odds: Slow the hype, most bettors believe Caleb Williams and Bears will miss playoffs

The Chicago Bears seemed like they were set up to be an offseason darling.

The Bears were pretty good late last season, then had a splashy offseason. They built up their receiver room. They drafted quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. There is a lot of excitement in Chicago for this Bears season.

That excitement does not extend to the betting world.

BetMGM offers odds for each of the NFL teams to make or miss the playoffs. And the most bets in that market are on the Bears to miss the playoffs.

So much for that offseason buzz.

Bettors think Bears will fall short

Whether you measure it by number of bets or amount of money, the most-bet playoff prop at BetMGM is for the Bears to miss the postseason. The odds for the Bears to miss the playoffs are +105 (bet $100 to win $105).

There’s a consensus right behind the Bears, too. The Jets, at +120 odds to miss the playoffs, are the second most popular bet in the postseason betting market.

The skepticism on the Bears isn’t unwarranted. It’s always hard to bank on a rookie quarterback. There are a lot of new pieces for the Bears to incorporate. And the Bears play in the NFC North, which could end up being the toughest division in the NFL.

There’s a lot working against the Bears, and that’s why bettors are wary.

Can Bears make the postseason?

The excitement for the Bears, at least among Chicago fans, started in the second half of last season. The Bears started 2-7. That turned around with a 5-3 finish, and the three losses were competitive ones against the Lions, Browns and Packers. Had the Bears won a Week 18 game at the Packers to keep them out of the playoffs, as the Lions did a year earlier, there would have been a more notable buzz about their offseason. Them losing the finale muted that a bit.

But there are still reasons to like the Bears for this season. Williams is a fantastic prospect. Between D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, Chicago has a really good receiver room. The defense might still need some work, but it did get better as last season went on.

There’s a lot to like about this Bears team, though they could be good and still fall short of the playoffs due to a tough division. That’s part of bettors believing they’ll miss the postseason.

The Bears seem like a team that was more likely to go the other way and be a favorite of bettors. They had a lot of big moves and are a popular franchise with a huge fan base. There’s been excitement about them since last season ended. Usually all of that leads to some positive bets. But bettors aren’t ready to buy in just yet.