Ben Johnson's first year taking over the Bears couldn't have gone much better, with Chicago going from three straight fourth-place finishes to a division title and an overtime loss to the Rams in the divisional round. While the offense finished in the top 10 of scoring for just the fourth time in the last 30 years, the team's 11-6 record was built on a majority of fourth-quarter comebacks rather than a large number of decisive victories. Johnson's task in 2026 is moving his team from scrappy underdog to dangerous contender in a loaded conference.
We're taking a look at everything you need to know before making Chicago Bears futures bets below, including odds, trends, 2026 schedule, offseason changes and more before sharing our preseason betting strategy for the team. All odds are from DraftKings.
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Chicago Bears 2026 odds
Odds to …June 1FebGo Over win total9.5 (+100)9.5 (+100)Go Under win total9.5 (-120)9.5 (-120)Miss playoffs-112 Make playoffs-108 Win NFC North+310 Win NFC+1300 Win Super Bowl+2500+2500The Bears are third in odds to win their division despite finishing more than a win clear of every team last season. That could be because the Lions and Packers both had a better point differentials despite the final standings, while the Vikings weren't close behind. History has suggested that piling up close wins isn't repeatable, so it may come down to a skill jump from Johnson in Year 2 to stave off regression.
Chicago Bears futures trends
YearSuper Bowl oddsWin totalResultActual winsFinish2025+40008.5Over11L, Divisional round2024+35008.5Under54th, NFC North2023+50007.5Under73rd, NFC North2022+144006.5Under34th, NFC North2021+66007.5Under63rd, NFC NorthThe Bears hit their Over for the first time in seven years thanks in part to posting their best point differential since that incredible 12-4 season in Matt Nagy's first year as head coach. In that year, the Bears had a top-five defense, and finding success on that side of the ball once again will likely be key to standing out in a competitive division.
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Chicago Bears 2025 season review
RecordPy WinsYds/play (Rk)Opp y/p (Rk)DVOA (Rk)11-69.115.70 (9)6.00 (29)2.5 (16)Chicago put itself in position to win close games by pairing a strong running attack (third in yards per rush) with an elite ability to avoid negative plays (first in interception rate, third in sack rate). The success the defense did have stemmed from generating turnovers, as Chicago led the league in interception rate on that side of the ball as well. It's unlikely the Bears will be tops in the league in interception rate for either unit in 2026 even if they remain strong in the category, and success must start with improving on bottom five finishes in yards allowed both per rush and pass play.
Chicago Bears 2026 offseason review
LostAddedDraftedQB RBTravis HomerSalvon Ahmed WRD.J. Moore, Olamide Zaccheaus, Devin DuvernayKalif Raymond, Scotty MillerZavion Thomas (3)TEDurham Smythe Sam Roush (3)OLRyan BatesGarrett Bradbury, Jedrick WillsLogan Jones (2)DLAndrew Billings, Chris WilliamsNeville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, James LynchJordan van den Berg (6)EDGEDominique Robinson, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka LBTremaine Edmunds, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Amen OgbongbemigaDevin Bush, Jack Sanborn, Jon RhattiganKeyshaun Elliott (5)CBNahshon Wright, Nick McCloudAnthony JohnsonMalik Muhammad (4)SKevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Jonathan OwensCoby Bryant, Cam LewisDillon Thieneman (1)STAFFDeclan Doyle (OC)The Bears entered last season with an embarrassment of riches at pass catcher but traded D.J. Moore to the Bills and didn't replace him with a similar established talent. Despite the unit's overall struggles last year, the top of the depth chart on defense remains largely the same aside from safety, where the new-look position group will be led by free-agent signing Coby Bryant and first-round pick Dillon Thieneman.
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
WeekOppNotes1@CAR 2MIN 3PHIMon4NYJ 5@GB 6@ATL 7NEThu8@SEAMon9TB 10bye 11NO 12@DETThu13JAC 14@MIA 15@BUFSat16GBFri17DET 18@MINThe reward for winning the division is six games moved to standalone windows on days other than Sunday, including two games against fellow NFC division winners on Monday nights. Even with playing the Eagles in Week 3, the first month of the season may be the softest, so it's important to the Bears to get off to a strong start if they want to repeat.
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Chicago Bears futures picks
- Miss playoffs (-115)
The Bears' point differential suggested they were more like a nine-win team than an 11-win team last year, and I don't think Chicago did enough to upgrade its defense to expect it to be much better on a per play basis if the turnovers aren't falling like they did last year. Taking this miss playoff bet comes in at a cheaper price than playing Under 9.5 wins and I think there's more potential for the Bears to miss the playoffs at 10-7 than to make it at 9-8 in a strong conference and division.
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