Although the Lions have never played in a Super Bowl, they have never looked this close to a trip to Super Sunday as they do now. Hence, for 2025, the NFL odds future markets indicate that the Lions are the favorites to repeat, with the Packers as their closest competitor. In 2024, the Detroit Lions won the NFC North for the second consecutive year. They had not won it since 1993. Previously, the Green Bay Packers were the dominant team in the division eight times from 2011 through 2021.
NFC North Division Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | +135 |
| Green Bay Packers | +260 |
| Minnesota Vikings | +400 |
| Chicago Bears | +450 |
Specifically, during the Packers’ offshore betting run, the Minnesota Vikings won it three times and the Bears once in that span. Detroit head coach Dan Campbell is a classic case of being the right man at the right time. His rough-edged personality fits perfectly in the Motor City. Correlate that Detroit fans and players love Campbell as the coach. He is seen as the one who can finally lead the Lions to the Super Bowl for the first time. Thus, for Lion fans, that has been an impossible dream.
Yet another Detroit success story is Rams castoff quarterback Jared Goff. In the year Goff was traded to Detroit for Matt Stafford, the Rams won the Super Bowl. But in the 2023 NFC Playoffs, Goff got some NFL betting odds revenge with a win over his old team. In 2024, he had his best season to date.
Two years ago, the Green Bay Packers were written off for dead towards the end of the campaign. But head coach Matt LaFleur and first-year starting QB Jordan Love rallied the Pack to a playoff berth. However, Green Bay flopped in the 2024 wild card round after making the 2023 divisional round.
The NFC North is a division rich in generational and regional rivalries, as well as legacy franchises. Since 1961, these franchises have shared this division, once known as the NFC Central. Specifically, the Minnesota Vikings, a newborn expansion franchise, joined the stalwart Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears.
Accordingly, some of the most historic figures in pro football made their names in the NFC North. First and foremost was George Halas, the founder of the NFL and the Chicago Bears. The Green Bay Packers have the greatest coach in history, Vince Lombardi, headlining their proud history. The Lombardi Trophy goes to the Super Bowl champion each year. The Minnesota Vikings were led to glory by Hall of Fame coach Bud Grant, who took them to four Super Bowls. Finally, the roster of legendary players from the NFC North would take several pages.
Previously, it had been 30 years since the Detroit Lions last won a division title. But Detroit ended its futility impressively for 2023. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had won the NFC Central more recently than the Lions have won this current division. It was an example of just how futile this franchise had been in the Super Bowl era.
Of course, in its heyday, the NFC North was known as the “Black and Blue Division.” This division has three of the oldest franchises in the NFL: the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and Detroit Lions. They are entrenched as the most-played rivalries in the league. Cause of their status as relative newcomers, it has been impressive to see Minnesota win so many division titles.