Bears are the pick despite NFL trend

Chicago dominated the NFC North a season ago and there is no reason to believe the Bears won’t do the same in 2007.

In a division where the second-place finisher was 8-8 last year, the Bears are the 1-6 favorite on the website Vegasinsider.com. Another site, Abcis- lands.com, has them -370 on its money line, meaning a bettor would have to risk $370 to win $100 on Chicago taking the North for a third consecutive season.

What the Bears have going against them are two things. For one, Rex Grossman remains their quarterback. For another, they are coming off a loss in the Super Bowl, having been defeated by Indianapolis.

In recent years, the Super Bowl loser has fallen on hard times the next season. In fact, five of the last six teams who lost Super Bowls failed to make the playoffs the next season.

The Giants, Rams, Raiders, Panthers and Eagles all missed the playoffs after Super Bowl losses. Only Seattle, which lost to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XL, qualified a season later and the Seahawks did so only because they played in a sorry division (the NFC West).

On Vegas.insider.com, Green Bay is the 4-1 second choice. The Packers surged in the second half of the season to finish 8-8, but did virtually nothing to improve their roster and face a tougher schedule in 2007.

Those who still believe in the magic of quarterback Brett Favre can get +450 on the Packers to win the division at Abcislands.com.

Minnesota, which has a solid defense and added potential star tailback Adrian Peterson through the draft, is 12-1 and +500 and Detroit is 15-1 and +750.

Golf

Before Tiger Woods tries for back-to-back victories in the PGA Championship, the final major of the year that begins next week in Tulsa, Okla., he will attempt to continue his domination of the World Golf Championships’ Bridgestone Invitational at the Firestone Country Club in Akron.

Woods has won the Ohio tournament three years in a row and five of eight since it began in 1999.

The website Bodog.com has made Woods the 11-4 favorite to win again in Akron, meaning bettors can get attractive prices on a number of other golfers.

Jim Furyk, who has a history of playing well in this event, is next at 10-1, but he may be forced to skip the tournament because of back problems. Next on the list are Vijay Singh (14-1), Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson (16-1). British Open champion Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia, who lost to Harrington in a playoff at Carnoustie, are both 25-1. Stewart Cink, who lost to Woods after four playoff holes in the 2006 World Golf Championships, is 28-1.

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bob.mieszerski@latimes.com