Green Bay ran away with the NFC North division crown last season, but without Brett Favre leading the charge, and with the Vikings ready to make a run, it won't be a walk in the park for the Packers again.
Green Bay Packers Odds
Everything came together just right for the Packers last season. The offense gelled behind Brett Favre and new-found running back Ryan Grant, while their young defense blossomed.
Now Green Bay has to try and keep it going with Aaron Rodgers controlling the offense. If Rodgers steps in and leads the team without missing a beat Green Bay could stay on top of the division. However, if he can't it could be a long and disappointing season in Green Bay.
Over at online sportsbook , the Packers are at 2/1 to repeat as division champs, while they're at 11/1 to win the conference championship.
Minnesota Vikings Odds
The Vikings made a late run at a playoff spot last season, but came up just short at 8-8. It seems like Minnesota is everyone's dark horse pick in the NFC this season. The Vikings' strength will once again be running the ball behind Purple Jesus Adrian Peterson.
The Vikings are also incredibly strong against the run, and last year they boasted the best run defense in the league. Adding sack leader Jared Allen to the defensive line should keep that strong run defense going. However, the Vikings' chances this season may depend upon how well they improve in the passing game, on both sides of the ball.
Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson started to show great strides at the end of last season, and he needs to continue to show improvement to avoid another one-sided Vikings offense dominated by the run. On defense, as good as the Vikings were against the run last year, they were just as bad against the pass.
The oddsmakers at are expecting big things from Minnesota after setting them as an 11/10 division favorite, and at 7/1 to win the NFC.
Detroit Lions Odds
Jon Kitna turned out to be wrong last season when he predicted double-digit wins for the Lions. Instead Detroit won seven games and missed the playoffs once again. Kitna likely won't make any predictions this season, even though he has a strong group of receivers to throw to led by Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Shaun McDonald, and Mike Furrey.
If only Kitna had an offensive line with that much talent. Detroit has a decision to make at running back, where Tatum Bell could lose the starting job to rookie Kevin Smith if he underperforms again. The Lions' defense is barely worth mentioning it's so bad, and there looks to be little improvement on the way.
Expect the "Fire Matt Millen" chants to continue during another disappointing season in Detroit. The Lions are a 6/1 underdog in the division at , while their win total was set low at 6 on the Bodog season win prop.
Chicago Bears Odds
The Bears took a big step back last season, winning only seven games coming off a Super Bowl appearance. The Bears' offense was a mess last season behind turnover machine Rex Grossman.
Grossman will start this season backing up Kyle Orton, although that's not much of an improvement. The Bears' running game is also in shambles after the release of underachieving Cedric Benson. The 'Other Adrian Peterson' and Matt Forte are the leading candidates to try and get something going again out of the backfield.
Even the Bears' once-stout defense failed to live up to expectations last season. Brian Urlacher, Tommie Harris, Lance Briggs, and the rest of the Bears' veterans will need to prove last season was just a down year. One glimmer of hope for Chicago remains Devin Hester.
The special teams phenom will see more time at wide receiver this season, which gives him even more opportunities to reach the end zone. The Bears enter the season as a 7/2 'dog in the division at , while they're a 16/1 longshot to reclaim the NFC Championship.
Get the latest NFC North odds as well as season win total betting odds as more on 's football wagering menu.