New head coach Matt Eberflus' Bears team certainly doesn't appear to be a good one on paper. Rookie general manager Ryan Poles let the team's best offensive player, Allen Robinson, sign with the Rams and traded their best defensive player, Khalil Mack, to the other Los Angeles team, the Chargers. There's no doubt this is a rebuilding year in Chicago. Second-year quarterback Justin Fields has a ton of long term potential but the team should hope he doesn't go sideways after a subpar rookie season considering the lack of offensive weapons he has at his disposal.
With an Over/Under of 6.5 wins at Caesars Sportsbook, the oddsmakers seem to be a bit generous, though the over stands at +120 on the moneyline. It seems the Bears' philosophy is to rebuild in 2022, get a top-five draft pick in next year's loaded draft, and use the nearly $100 million in cap space they'll have to immediately transform the franchise. It's the right way for an NFL franchise to rebuild but it doesn't help the always-anxious Chicago fanbase this season. The Bears might be an attractive buy-low candidate in 2023 if all goes as the team's management expects.
One reason the team's won total Over/Under is so high is because the schedule isn't terribly daunting. Only seven of their 17 games are against teams that made the playoffs last season. The Bears will also face the Texans, Giants, Lions (twice), Falcons, and Jets, who appear to be among the NFL's worst teams. Even so, most of those teams se emingly have higher ceilings in 2022 than Chicago's rebuilding effort.
- More NFL futures:'SportsLine Projection Model's best bets
Below, you'll find the Chicago Bears 2022 schedule, win total and more futures odds from Caesars Sportsbook, followed by picks from top SportsLine NFL analysts Larry Hartstein and R.J. White.