The 2025 campaign was a historic one for the NFC North, as all four teams finished with a winning record.
That feat has only been accomplished one other time in the NFL’s post-merger era, so it’s safe to say that this division was pretty competitive last year.
The NFC North odds indicate that could well be the case again this season, with no team having longer than +150 odds to win the division.
Let’s examine the latest NFC North winner odds and make a division champion prediction for the 2026 season.
NFC North Winner Odds 2026
These NFC North betting odds are current as of Wednesday, July 29, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Be careful, as many NFL odds may shift as we get closer to the 2026 NFL season.
- Detroit Lions (+170)
- Green Bay Packers (+225)
- Chicago Bears (+305)
- Minnesota Vikings (+510)
Keep track of pro football futures this offseason with our NFL futures odds comparison tool:
NFC North Standings 2025
Before we dig into my NFC North predictions, here’s how the division played out last season:
- Chicago Bears 11-6
- Green Bay Packers 9-7-1
- Minnesota Vikings 9-8
- Detroit Lions 9-8
NFC North Winner Best Bet
Detroit Lions (+170)
The Lions’ offense took a small step back last season without former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who led the Bears to the NFC North title in his first season as Chicago’s head coach. However, Detroit is making another coordinator switch, with Drew Petzing replacing John Morton, and there’s no denying the talent he’ll have to work with.
Jared Goff leads an offense that is loaded at every skill position. Jahmyr Gibbs is one of the league’s top running backs, Sam LaPorta should re-emerge at tight end after an injury-hit campaign, and there are few trios of wide receivers as talented as Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Isaac TeSlaa.
Detroit will also benefit from finishing last in the loaded NFC North last season, as it will face a last-place schedule that ranks as one of the easiest in the NFL.
With that in mind, I’m backing the Lions to win their third division title in four years at +170 odds as my NFL pick of the day.
NFC North Winner Sleeper Pick
Minnesota Vikings (+510)
When looking past the Lions, I’d prefer the Green Bay Packers (+225) over the Chicago Bears (+305), but I’m tempted to take a longer shot on the Vikings at better than 5-1 odds.
Minnesota hasn’t won the NFC North since 2022, but they’ve posted winning records in three of Kevin O’Connell’s first four seasons in charge. Coaching is a big reason why I trust the Vikings, as O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores have shown that they can maximize the talent on their roster.
The decision to let quarterback Sam Darnold leave for Seattle last offseason was clearly a mistake. However, it’s one that O’Connell and Co. will try to rectify by taking a chance on the talent of former Cardinals signal-caller Kyler Murray.
If Murray can stay healthy and return to his 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year form under O’Connell’s tutelage, then it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Vikings vault to the top of the NFC North.
NFC North Winner By Year
| Year | NFC North Winner | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Green Bay Packers | 10-6 |
| 2017 | Minnesota Vikings | 13-3 |
| 2018 | Chicago Bears | 12-4 |
| 2019 | Green Bay Packers | 13-3 |
| 2020 | Green Bay Packers | 13-3 |
| 2021 | Green Bay Packers | 13-4 |
| 2022 | Minnesota Vikings | 13-4 |
| 2023 | Detroit Lions | 12-5 |
| 2024 | Detroit Lions | 15-2 |
| 2025 | Chicago Bears | 11-6 |
