Bear Digest

Bears Fans Can't Throw Away Money Fast Enough on Maxx Crosby Trade

The Bears are the betting favorites to be the next team Maxx Crosby suits up for and it's merely another case of Chicago fans throwing away gambling money.
Gene Chamberlain|
Former Bears receiver is about to meet up with Maxx Crosby in a 2023 game at Soldier Field.
Former Bears receiver is about to meet up with Maxx Crosby in a 2023 game at Soldier Field. | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

It's little wonder how sports gambling has exploded when there are so many gullible people.

Betting odds are based largely on where the money is being placed so the bookies, or Vegas casinos, can make their profit. They're about to make a killing on Bears fans.

The Bears are currently the favorites to be the ones Maxx Crosby suits up for next season. This is per DraftKings.com, and it's startling how many people with money to waste on betting are throwing it away on the Bears as Crosby's next team.

Crosby isn't a free agent, so they are projecting a trade to be made when they put this money down on the Bears. And that is what's fueling these odds.

They're -145 right now. Meanwhile, they're ahead of Crosby's current team. The Raiders are at +165. There really are no other teams close in this. Dallas is at +800.

The Raiders' asking price is still two first-round picks and a player, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

Logically, Dallas makes much more sense than the Bears. Anyone betting on the Bears might as well set their cash on fire. Dallas owner Jerry Jones has four first-round draft picks in the next two years, including 12 and 20 this year. He traded away their best pass rusher to get them

The Cowboys restructured three contracts to clear around $66 million in space, including Dak Prescott's deal.

At the combine, Jones told reporters they would also restructure deals for Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa, who would count $63 million against the cap. 

They're obviously getting ready to make a big addition.

It's not hard to figure out what they need. They allowed the most points, were 30th in defense, tied for 22nd in sacks (with the Bears) but were 30th in takeaways.

So who could use a dominant pass rusher who plays the run and pass after giving away a dominant pass rusher who didn't defend the run well, and who needs pass rush help for a bad defense, and who has cap space and plenty of first-round picks to give away in the next few years. And who has an aging owner who wants to get a turnaround for his franchise as quickly as possible?

Meanwhile, the Bears have the 25th pick in this draft to offer. They  have DJ Moore, a 28-year-old receiver, and then they have draft picks next year. They are in a worse salary cap situation than Dallas. Even though they can restructure the end of the earth to create space, GM Ryan Poles is already on record twice saying they don't want to push off too much cost into the future.

Dallas makes much more sense for a Crosby trade at every turn.

The Cowboys make much more sense than the Raiders make at hanging onto their own player because Las Vegas has already begun a rebuilding process and by the time this can take hold Crosby could be into his 30s.

There are plenty of people out there fueling this Crosby-to-the-Bears fire.

Albert Breer and Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated contributed to the insanity by talking about the Bears as a best fit.

They do have a need and Crosby perfectly fits their scheme, but they already had greater needs, and now another at center. Their cap space and commitment to freeing more cap space isn't the kind to handle Crosby.

Vegas or DraftKings will just keep taking money from Bears fans, though.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.