What Aaron Rodgers' Return Means For NFC North Futures Betting

For weeks, the drama around whether Aaron Rodgers would play for the Green Bay Packers this fall was of interest to fans of several NFL teams. Now that the matter seems settled, Michigan sportsbooks feel confident in taking action on markets such as NFC North futures again.

For Detroit Lions fans, the news might come with a bit of dismay. For bettors in Michigan considering NFL futures and game lines, there’s more information to take into account.

One MI sportsbook’s line movement regarding Aaron Rodgers

BetMGM Sportsbook wasted no time after seeing enough evidence pointing toward a return to Green Bay for Rodgers. When Rodgers reported for Packers’ training camp Tuesday, months of speculation ended.

“With Rodgers returning to Green Bay, BetMGM has shortened the Packers’ odds to win the Super Bowl from +1600 to +1200,” said BetMGM sports trader Darren Darby in a company news release. “The trading team has been on its toes all offseason waiting for news on whether Rodgers would stay or go. Now that Rodgers is back in the fold, we’ve reposted Packers futures for all markets.”

BetMGM didn’t just modify and re-post its Super Bowl futures, though. There was significant movement on other markets as well. That included:

Packers to win the NFC championship: Was +800, now +550
Packers to win the NFC North division title: Was -120, now -165

At the same time, BetMGM didn’t adjust the line on Rodgers winning the regular-season MVP award. Those odds are still +800. Here’s how BetMGM’s lines compare to the same markets at other Michigan sportsbooks.

Packers to win the NFC conference championship game at FanDuel Sportsbook: +550
Packers to win the NFC North division crown at DraftKings Sportsbook: -130
Rodgers to win the MVP at PointsBet Sportsbook: +1400

This news affects lines on a lot of other NFL teams as well, especially those in Green’s Bay division. For bettors looking to stake the Lions, this means some potentially greater payouts if those bets pay off.

Lines on the Lions getting longer

Earlier this month, the Lions were +2200 to win the NFC North at BetMGM. That line has now moved to +2500. FanDuel and PointsBet have that same line, while DraftKings’ odds on the Lions winning their division sit at +2800.

Bettors should expect some movement on spreads for individual regular-season games as well. It’s pretty simple math. Detroit will have to face a quarterback who is a three-time MVP, is third all-time for QB rating and is second in NFL history in terms of adjusted net yards per pass attempt.

While Rodgers’ situation was uncertain, the Lions were an eight-point underdog to the Packers in Green Bay on Sept. 20. Currently, BetMGM, FanDuel, and PointsBet all have their lines for that game off the board.

DraftKings’ spread on Lions at Packers Week 2 is eight points. So far, none of those books have posted lines for Week 18 of the NFL season. As a lot of volatility remains for that new addition to the regular season, bettors shouldn’t expect to see those lines anytime soon.

The Lions will probably be an underdog to Green Bay at Ford Field for that week when the lines do appear again. That means a stronger moneyline return if Detroit does surprise some people, though.

WynnBET offering variety of Lions futures

As WynnBET Sportsbook continues to look for market traction in Michigan, it has thrown out a bevy of Lions-specific future markets for in-state players to consider.

And as you might expect, there are a lot of long odds in here. (Note: Odds are in the plus-minus format, except where specifically noted.)

Lions to Win Pro Football Championship: +15000

Lions to Reach Super Bowl 56: Yes – +5000

Lions to Win NFC Championship: +7500

Lions to Win NFC North: +2000

*Lions Total Wins: Under 5.5 – 20/21 , Over 5.5 – 25/29

Lions to Reach Playoffs: Yes – +600 No – -1000

Lions to Have 0-17 Record: +3000

Lions to Win Most Games: +50000

Lions to Win Least Games: +400

Player/Coach-Focused Odds

Jared Goff to Win MVP: +15000