“Bear Bets”: Handicapping for AFC, NFC and Super Bowl winners; first coach fired

It all starts on Thursday.

With the NFL The season starts this week, “Bear Betting” concludes its preview episodes for this year. So far, the gang has shared their favorite bets on total wins, award winners, and more.

This week, Chris “The Bear” Fallica And Geoff Schwartz joined Will Hill and John Murray of SuperBook and Westgate discuss who they think will win the AFC, NFC and Super Bowl. They also shared their thoughts on the market for the first fired coach.

Let's get started!

Do you think that the San Francisco 49ers will defend the title as NFC champions? Or are you looking at someone else? Who are the bettors putting their money on to win the conference, John?

Hill: tendency to Detroit Lions

“I still think the 49ers are really talented, but I would lean toward less than 11.5 wins simply because I think the Super Bowl hangover is a real problem. That's been proven over the years. The residual disadvantage is a real problem.”

Schwartz: Agree that the Lions are the safest bet to win the NFC

“The Lions have the fewest questions right now when you look at the roster, the way they're set up. I think Dan Campbell's coaching style is important here, right? He's aggressive. He goes all out. That attitude, I think, resonates well in the locker room. We know they won a lot of games last year.

“There are some question marks with the Philadelphia Eagles. They need to replace Jason Kelce. What will the offensive line look like? New coordinators everywhere. Is Nick Sirianni the guy who will lead them? And the mood is bad with the 49ers.”

Murray: Weather like Lions, Los Angeles Rams; agree with Hill and Schwartz regarding San Francisco and Detroit

“It's mostly the Lions, but the team everyone is betting on is actually the Rams. We saw the Rams go from 20-1 to 15-1. I like the Rams. The 49ers are a mess and under 11.5 was a really sharp play.

“My whole instinct and the way I've always bet on the NFL tells me to bet against the Lions because they had such a great season last year. But I don't think I can do that because I like Dan Campbell. I think they should have won the NFC championship last season.”

Would you bet Kansas City Chiefs for a third straight win to start the season? Who are the books good for, John?

Murray: The books want everyone except the Chiefs

“We started with a 10-1 chance of winning the Super Bowl. We bet so much on the Chiefs that we had to lower their odds of winning the Super Bowl and winning the conference. I really can't argue with anyone who says they're going to bet on a future with the Chiefs.

“I just hope it's not the Chiefs. Give me someone else. Give me a fresh face.”

Schwartz: Bet that the Chiefs will win everything again

“It's rare that a Super Bowl winner comes back the next year and is better. Their offense will be what it used to be, and their defense will take a step back because defenses are more inconsistent every year. I don't expect them to be No. 1 or 2 on defense, but they don't need to be.”

If you're not betting on the Chiefs to win the AFC or the Super Bowl, who's your favorite in the conference?

Hill: I already have a bet on the New York Jets to win the AFC, plan to place a bet on them to win the Super Bowl

“They're my favorite for the AFC. They won seven games last year without a quarterback. … I think Aaron Rodgers is going to play great. I think the defense is absolutely strong. They had to win games on their own and they've been trying to win games 13-10. They'll have a little more breathing room. I think the Jets are absolutely strong.”

Murray: I would rather Cincinnati Bengals to win the AFC

“If I had to choose a team, I would choose the Bengals. They've done it before. They've done it [in 2021]. I thought they should have won the AFC Championship Game [in 2022]and the referees kind of stepped in to help the Chiefs. They easily could have won two AFC title games in a row.”

Who do you think will be the first coach to be fired?

The Bear: Nick Sirianni (+1000) and Sean McDermott (+1400) are the clear competitors according to the odds table

“I think Sirianni is one of the guys to consider because if things go wrong in the beginning, you've already fired the coordinators and overhauled the roster. If it doesn't work, it's on you now.”

“[With McDermott]it's a team they haven't been able to keep up with year after year. They've lost some guys. The beginning of their schedule is brutal. They could have a rough start to the year.”

Hill: McDermott offers the best value

“McDermott threw everyone under the bus, but he somehow avoided it. Ken Dorsey and Leslie Frazier were fired. I think they fired the special teams coach. They have high expectations. You get the feeling their chance is gone.”

Murray: Matt Eberflus (+1200)

“I was really surprised he kept his job last year. It's very unusual for a team that had the first pick to use it on a quarterback and go into the season with expectations. … I think there's a lot of pressure on him.”

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