2024 NFL Season NFC North Odds: Detroit Lions favored to repeat

The Detroit Lions are favored to win an NFC North division that projects to be tightly contested in the 2024 NFL Season.

Detroit made last season's NFC Championship game, and the youthful Green Bay Packers got into the playoffs through the Wild Card and won a game in the postseason.

Both the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings will look to the future this season, although the Bears' 2024 outlook is brighter than that of the Vikings.

NFL NFC North 2024 - To Win Division

DET Lions	+130
GB Packers	+200
CHI Bears	+330
MIN Vikings	+950

Detroit Lions +130

The Detroit Lions were one of the NFL's best teams in the 2023 season, and there's good reason to think they'll be right there in 2024. They bring back most of their core players from last year and signed WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and OL Penei Sewell to contract extensions.

The team also brought in veteran depth players including Carlton Davis, Amik Robertson, Marcus Davenport, DJ Reader and Kevin Zeitler. In addition to Davis and Robertson providing secondary depth, the Lions drafted cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in the first and second rounds, respectively.

Keeping the core of the team together while getting younger at a position that prioritizes athleticism - cornerback - was a smart offseason approach. The Lions enter this season with much greater expectations, so we'll see how they cope with the added pressure.

Green Bay Packers +200

The Green Bay Packers had the league's youngest roster in 2023 and surprised the NFL landscape with a Wild Card round win over the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs. A solid draft has them set up well for the 2024 campaign.

Green Bay signed safety Xavier McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs in free agency, and they drafted projected instant contributors in offensive lineman Jordan Morgan, linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and safety Javon Bullard.

Quarterback Jordan Love is still under center, and he found success throwing to four young wideouts in Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks and Christian Watson last year. With running backs Josh Jacobs, AJ Dillon and recent draftee Marshawn Lloyd in the backfield, this will be a tough team to beat.

Chicago Bears +330

It's hard to know what to expect from the Chicago Bears, who had a solid defense last year and enter 2024 with a rookie quarterback - first-overall pick Caleb Williams - who is surrounded by players who are also new to the team.

The Bears have done all they can to set Williams up for a successful rookie year. They picked up veteran WR Keenan Allen and RB D'Andre Swift in free agency, drafted WR Rome Odunze, and added offensive linemen Matt Pryor, Ryan Bates and Kiran Amegadjie to protect the franchise QB.

Chicago led the NFL with 22 interceptions last season, and all three of the team's INT leaders - Tremaine Edmunds, Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson - return. They also added veteran defensive backs Jonathan Owens and Kevin Byard, but their pass rush - second-worst in the NFL in 2023 - does not look much better this season.

Minnesota Vikings +950

The Minnesota Vikings got the quarterback they desired heading into the 2024 draft as they selected JJ McCarthy with the 10th-overall pick. Sadly for the team, McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus in the preseason and will miss the entire season, meaning Sam Darnold will start for the Vikings.

It seems the coaching staff will tell their signal-callers to pass the ball short and get the ball in the hands of the team's playmaking receivers as much as possible.

Justin Jefferson is still probably the best WR in the league, TJ Hockenson is a top-tier tight end and Jordan Addison stepped up in a huge way during Jefferson's injury absence last season, but the team needs to get the ball in those players' hands. At least newly-signed running back Aaron Jones can handle lots of carries.

While the offense might be looking to the future, the defense got big upgrades. The Vikings drafted edge rusher Dallas Turner from Alabama and signed Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Shaquill Griffin, Jihad Ward and Kamu Grugier-Hill in free agency.

Odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.