Chicago Bears 2026 NFL odds, season preview, analysis and predictions

The 2025-26 NFL season was a breakthrough in many ways for the Chicago Bears, first-year coach Ben Johnson, and quarterback Caleb Williams.

The Bears finished the regular season 11-6 and were crowned NFC North champions for the first time since 2018, which was also the last time the team had a winning record.

Johnson, the offensive mastermind, was as good as advertised after coming over from Detroit. And thanks to a revamped offensive line, Williams was able to stay upright after a 2024-25 rookie season where he was sacked 68 times. 

After making the postseason for the first time in five years, the Bears had a magical comeback win over rival Green Bay for the franchise’s first playoff win in 15 years. The team came up short in overtime against the Rams in the Divisional Round, but Chicago has its followers chanting “Da Bears!” for the first time in a while. 

So what will Johnson, Williams, and co. do for an encore? I’ll break it all down in my Chicago Bears season preview, so let’s start with a few futures markets.

Don’t forget to check out Sports Interaction’s complete list of NFL game odds and NFL futures.

Chicago Bears NFL futures

The Bears only have the third-best odds to repeat in the NFC North, behind the Lions and Packers. You can also bet on these futures for Chicago this season:

• Win the Super Bowl (+2500)
• Win the NFC Championship (+1400)
• No. 1 seed in the NFC (+1200)
• Win the NFC North (+320)
• Make the playoffs (+100)
• Regular season wins: Over 9.5 (+100) | Under 9.5 (-130)

The Bears possessed a top-10 offence and an NFL-leading +22 turnover differential thanks to a league-best 23 interceptions. You can bet on these futures before the season gets underway:

• Caleb Williams MVP (+1400)
• Caleb Williams regular season passing leader (+2000)
• Caleb Williams Over 24.5 touchdown passes (+100)

Chicago Bears squad strengths

It didn’t take long for Johnson to set his offensive game plan in motion. Williams set the tone under centre by throwing for a single-season franchise record 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns against seven interceptions. 

Tight end Colston Loveland lived up to his first-round billing as he became the first Bears rookie since Willie Gault in 1983 to lead the team in receiving. He had 58 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns, and fellow rookie Luther Burden III showed flashes of brilliance on the outside with 47 catches for 652 yards and two touchdowns.

Running backs were also an area of strength, as D’Andre Swift, who had 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns, and rookie bowling ball Kyle Monangai, who added 783 yards and five scores, were the only backfield tandem to surpass 750 yards each. 

Joe Thuney has already won multiple Super Bowls with both New England and Kansas City, and his bust is already being framed for Canton. After being traded by the Chiefs in the offseason, Thuney was promptly named the NFL’s Protector of the Year while earning first-team All-Pro honours for the third straight year. 

Chicago Bears squad weaknesses

It’s not as simple as saying the offence was the team’s strength, while the defence was its weakness, but the argument isn’t that far off. 

Yes, the Bears recorded 33 turnovers, including 23 interceptions. But that only partially masked a unit that finished 29th in the NFL in yards allowed while conceding an average of 24.4 points per game, the worst of any team that reached the postseason.

And those 23 interceptions? Good luck finding them, because the owners of 19 of those picks have moved on, including Kevin Byard, who led the team with seven interceptions. He is now in New England. Nahshon Wright, who had five, is with the Jets. 

They’re not the only impact players with new addresses. Veteran receiver DJ Moore, who totalled 244 catches for 3,012 yards and 20 touchdowns in three seasons with Chicago, is now a Buffalo Bill. 

Moore’s numbers were modest last season, but that puts more of the onus on Rome Odunze, who missed five games but still had 44 catches and six touchdowns, and Burden III, who just suffered a groin injury. 

And that offensive line took a major blow when centre Drew Dalman retired after just five years in the league at the age of 27. The Bears traded for veteran Garrett Bradbury from New England to fill the gaping hole in the middle.

Caleb Williams Over 24.5 touchdown passes (+100)

Last season’s iteration of the Bears will hold a special place in the beloved franchise’s 106-year history. The “Cardiac Bears” won seven times despite trailing with less than two minutes remaining. 

A lot has changed since then, but Williams could take yet another leap in his third season. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner survived his rookie campaign and has flashed both his considerable talent and leadership. This is his team.

The Lions should return to form, and Green Bay is always there. Only Minnesota appears to be in the rearview mirror for this season. If the Bears return to the top of the division and the postseason, the 6-foot-1, 226-pounder out of Washington, D.C. will probably be the biggest reason why.