The difference a weekend can make is remarkable.
Justin Fields is the new quarterback for the Chicago Bears, bringing newfound hope to a franchise that was lacking inspiration just a few days ago.
Chicago made a move up to the No. 11 spot in the NFL Draft in order to choose Fields, a quarterback from Ohio State who posted impressive numbers with 63 touchdown passes and only nine interceptions.
The Bears’ GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy have both confirmed that Andy Dalton will continue to be the starting quarterback for the 2021 season.
According to the Illinois sportsbook odds, it is likely that Fields will have an opportunity to play in the near future.
Justin Fields over/under props
PointsBet Sportsbook, the Bears’ official sports betting partner, is offering over/under bets on Fields’ season-long statistics.
PointsBet is the sole Illinois sportsbook offering individual props for Offensive Rookie of the Year, while other sportsbooks in the state have odds for the award.
Here they are:
- Passing yards: Over/under 3,000.5
- Will there be more or less than 15.5 passing touchdowns?
The market is exclusive to Illinois residents.
As previously stated, the decision will depend on how long the Bears choose to continue with Dalton.
If Fields were to start 12 games for the Bears and maintain an average of 250 passing yards per game, he would accumulate 3,000 passing yards for the season. Based on these statistics, it is likely that Fields will be the starting quarterback for most of the season.
Justin Fields Rookie of the Year props
Fields’ Offensive Rookie of the Year odds are available at five of Illinois’ online sportsbooks, with the exception of William Hill, which does not have odds listed.
Fields has the second-shortest odds among all five players to be selected after Trevor Lawrence, who was chosen first overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
- PointsBet: +500
- FanDuel: +500
- DraftKings: +600
- Barstool: +600
- BetRivers: +600
Fields is currently tied with 49ers quarterback Trey Lance in rankings at DraftKings, Barstool, and BetRivers. Despite being selected third overall by San Francisco, Lance is expected to begin the season as the backup to Jimmy Garoppolo.
Despite being the second overall pick in the draft, Jets QB Zach Wilson is ranked third on FanDuel and falls behind Lawrence, Fields, and Lance in other rankings. Wilson is expected to be the starting quarterback in Week 1, so it remains to be seen how he will perform in comparison to his fellow rookie quarterbacks.
It seems that the odds in Chicago indicate that Fields was a great value for the Bears. Despite being the fourth quarterback selected and unlikely to start in Week 1, he is the second-favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Bears in the mix to win the NFC North?
The Fields trade was a notable event, but it was overshadowed by even more significant news in the NFC North over the weekend.
It has been reported that reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers has informed his Packers teammates that he intends to leave Green Bay next season. Despite the Packers stating they have no intention of trading Rodgers, a potential standoff looms between the quarterback and the team.
If Rodgers comes back, Green Bay has a good chance of winning another NFC North title after making it to the NFC Championship game last season.
If the Packers choose to trade him, or if he opts not to attend, the division could become wide open.
The current odds for the NFC North can be found at FanDuel.
- Green Bay Packers: -130
- Minnesota Vikings: +260
- Chicago Bears: +300
- Detroit Lions: +2,400
There appears to be a three-team competition, and should Jordan Love become the Packers’ starting quarterback, the competition could become even more intriguing.
