Chicago Bears deemed underdogs for over half of 2025 schedule

The Chicago Bears have been one of the most hyped up teams of the offseason. However, fans and analysts haven’t forgotten that the team is coming off of a 5-12 campaign.

Ben Johnson’s arrival does bring a high level of excitement to Chicago. The offense, and team at large, looked lifeless at times throughout the 2024 season, ultimately leading to a 10 game losing streak. Johnson and the Bears have been aggressive in ensuring the same thing doesn’t happen in 2025.

But until the Bears prove to be a real contender, they’ll continue to be looked at as a team in the NFC North’s cellar. Because of this, Chicago is favored in only seven of their games this season, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Odds courtesy of DraftKings. The Bears are an underdog in eight of their nine road games, only favorites against the Las Vegas Raiders. They are favorites at home in all but two games.

On one side, the Bears are 7.5 point favorites against the New Orleans Saints. But on the flip side, they’re seven-point underdogs to both the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens. However, most lines fall within a few points, at least proving that Vegas thinks Chicago is on the rise.

Chicago Bears 2025 schedule 

The Bears open their season with a pair of NFC North matchups against the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings respectively. It’ll be a strong opportunity for Johnson and company to prove the franchise’s turnaround is legit. They’ll follow it up with games against the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders, two teams who have completely revamped their franchise, before hitting their Bye in Week 5.

Then, the Bears will take part in a must-watch rematch against the Washington Commanders. Chicago surely wants revenge after last season’s Hail Mary debacle. The New Orleans Saints come next followed by a pair of scary battles against the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. Chicago will hope to get some reprieve against the New York Giants.

But starting in Week 11, the Bears face arguably their hardest stretch yet. They’ll take on the Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, Eagles and Green Bay Packers all in a row. Those four games will be a true test and will indicate if Chicago is still involved in the playoff hunt.

Following a Week 15 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, the Bears finish their season with a doozy. Week 16’s home game against the Packers will be must watch for rivalry purposes. Then, the San Francisco 49ers and Lions seem poised to compete for a playoff spot. If the Bears are still involved in the playoff hunt themselves, all of these matchups will be high intensity.

The Bears may not be favored to have a winning season entering the 2025 campaign. But if Johnson’s plan works how Chicago is expecting, then the sky is the limit in year one and beyond.