NFL Chicago Bears Defense In-Depth Betting Analysis

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There has been a theory floated in the MFL for quite some time that basically states that it is defense that wins championships. While it certainly helps to have a great defensive unit, the reality is that if you look back at the last 20 or so Super Bowl winners, you see that the majority of champions had an elite QB at the helm. Some balance is certainly required, though, and you could argue that a winning season begins with a defense that is tough to break down. Finding that balance can be tough, and it can hurt a team who lean too heavily one way. The Chicago Bears had a solid defensive unit for a couple of seasons, but that came at the same time as not really having a legit QB as a starter. Let’s take a look at how the Chicago Bears Defense looks this coming season so you can start planning your bets against their NFL odds.

NFL Betting – Chicago Bears Defense Expert Analysis For the 2021-22 Season

The Bears Defense in 2020

It was a bit of an odd season in the NFC in 2020, but the Chicago Bears were one of the teams to benefit from that strangeness. They did enough in the second half to make it into the Wild Card after finishing the season at 8-8. They struggled for consistency on the offensive side of the football, but the defense surrendered just 370 points, which was good enough for 8^th overall in the NFC.

In total YPG, the Bears fell just outside the top 10, surrendering 344.9 YPG. While not horrible, the Bears did fall outside the top 10 in pass defense, surrendering 231.6 YPG, good enough for 12^th in the league. With 113.4 YPG given up on the ground, the Bears fell into the middle of the pack.

Let’s now talk about turnovers in 2020, which is where things begin to get problematic for the Bears. They closed out the season with a -4 turnover differential. While some of that is on the offense, Chicago managed just 10 INT on the season, while getting 8 fumble recoveries. Getting pressure on the QB was also an issue, as they managed just 35 sacks on the season.

There, may, though, be a bigger issue facing the Chicago Bears defense heading into this season, which we will touch on next.

Bears Offseason Moves

One of the supposed problems that the Bears face this season is that they have what appears to be an aging defensive unit. This was not helped by losing CB Kyle Fuller, due to cap concerns, and replacing him with Desmond Trufant. You would still expect Khalil Mack and the others over 30 to deliver the goods to some degree, but the reality is that no team with 6 or more defensive starters over 30 has won a Super Bowl since 2004.

The feeling was that the Bears would actively try and find a young CB in the draft, which they did with Thomas Graham Jr., but as a 6^th round pick, he is not likely to be in as a starter. Much of the focus in the draft and in the offseason went to getting protection for QB Justin Fields, as well as a couple of weapons. With that in mind, the sense is that the Bears are happy to roll with the aging defense that they have. It will be interesting to see if that is a decision that comes back to haunt them or not.

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