NFL 2010: Win Total Predictions NFC North

Thursday kicks off the new season of the true 'Greatest Show on Earth', that's right, NFL Football! All odds taken from Vegasinsider.com (opening line).

NFC North seems likely to produce one good team, and three mediocre to bad teams. Green Bay will probably be the best NFC team when the season ends, while Detroit, Minnesota and Chicago should all be .500 or worse. This division gets matched against both the NFC and AFC East, which is a tough draw with 7 very solid teams in those two divisions.

Chicago Bears (Win total 8.0) UNDER!
This isn't a good team. I repeat, they suck. Defense is aging, and they have no offense, 5-11 or 6-10 seem likely, they'll be lucky to get to 7-9. Not sure why bookies place them as a middle of the pack team, they get more respect than their coaching or roster would seem to merit.

Detroit Lions (Win total 5.0) OVER!
This isn't a horrible team. I repeat, they suck slightly less than the Bears. Probably a 7-9 team, maybe even 8-8, still pretty mediocre, but for the Lions an .500 season would practically feel like winning the Superbowl after so many futile years. There's reason for optimism in Detroit, but don't get too crazy, and hopefully the L.A. group trying to lure them away won't be successful (L.A. Lions as a franchise does have the advantage of alliteration going for it, though).

Green Bay Packers (Win total 9.5) OVER!
Best team in the NFC, at least assuming their defense shows any capability to stop opposing offenses. An explosive offense with an opportunistic defense should combine for best record in the NFC status in 2010. a 12 or 13 win season seems within grasp, even with a tough schedule.

Minnesota Vikings (Win total 9.5) UNDER!
By the middle of the season both the Vikings and the Brett will wish #4 had stayed retired. They still have Peterson, and they should still win some games, but I don't see them being better than 8-8 if Favre regresses to the NY Jets Favre rather than the improbably error free Favre from last season. Will be fun watching this team fall apart and point fingers every which way, though.