Is this Year Make of Break for Matt Nagy and the Bears?

Matt Nagy entered the role of head coach of the Bears in 2018 with high hopes – but as he enters his fourth season with the franchise, there’s still frustration amongst fans with many asking how much progress has been made in his tenure. The head coach has been accused of questionable play-calling as well as reports coming out of comments made by some of the players that indicate a lack of trust in Nagy’s abilities.

One of the most controversial topics surrounding the team and the head coach’s decisions at the moment surrounds quarterback Justin Fields. For the past several months Nagy has insisted that his starting quarterback will always be Andy Dalton. Despite many players, coaches, commentators and fans considering it to be a risky decision Matt Nagy has continued to stand firm with this decision. However, when Dalton went down with a knee injury in week 2 when they played against the Cincinnati Bengals the criticisms grew ever louder.

Justin Fields was forced to take over from Dalton and despite Nagy’s concerns, he played very well apart from a single bad throw. The shots he took downfield as well as how dynamic he was throughout the game proved to spectators and professionals alike that Fields should finally be allowed a chance to become starting quarterback – this was confirmed by Nagy in the lead up to Sunday’s match-up.

When questioned if Dalton would still be starting quarterback if he returns to full health, Matt Nagy refused to answer then later used the Bears official Twitter page to say that Dalton would still be the quarterback. After this interview, multiple players, including offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, said that they thought Justin Fields was ready and should be given a chance.

However, it was a disappointing first start for an offence that never really got going against Myles Garrett and the Browns defence. Fields was sacked 9 times and only amassed 68 passing yards in a game that has only heaped the pressure on Matt Nagy.

What Are The Fans Saying?

All of this controversy has led to multiple people questioning if Matt Nagy has overstayed his welcome. So far, no NFL coach has ever been fired from their job. However, with Matt Nagy’s string of standoffish interviews, conflicting messages and controversial decisions, oddsmakers have him as the favourite to be the first coach to ever be fired from the NFL at Evens. Some of Nagy’s supporters were hoping that the head coach would be allowed a chance to let the rookie quarterback bed in, but with the odds of him being fired increasing by the day, it’s looking ever more likely that Matt Nagy will be out of a job by the end of the year.

What Does This Mean For Sports Betting?

Sports betting has become big business in Illinois over the last 12 months. The state legalised sports betting in March 2020 with the first legal sports bets being taken not long after. In 2020 only two casinos launched sportsbooks in 2020, but more are expected to join them shortly and many casinos offer online betting.

While Illinois’ sports betting legislation isn’t unique at first glance, it actually has a feature that a lot of states haven’t yet legalised. Illinois recently joined 12 other states that had legalised sports betting but they were the first state that included a clause that allows sports venues to take bets during games. The state of New York followed Illinois’ lead and also made it legal for bets to be made during games, but Illinois’ legislation goes even further.

While taking bets during games is nothing new and is actually commonplace across Europe despite not previously being seen in the US. However, a full sportsbook inside of a stadium is something that has never been seen before in any country. In addition to allowing bets within the stadium, professional teams are also allowed a five-block radius to build sportsbooks in and around the stadium, allowing betting to become much more accessible to punters visiting to watch the game.

Place Your Bets?

If this type of sports betting starts to become popular then it is a chance that casinos will start to promote this as an option even further. It is likely that we would see operators entice new customers with promotions like the free bets that are offered by sportsbooks – which look to give new customers free bets or extra money to spend when they sign up to a sign. The online casino and sports betting market has fierce competition and as such, they’ll be wanting to do what they can to ensure that they attract the right audience and as many new customers as possible. Traditionally with online casinos and gambling websites, free games and deposit bonuses have been a successful way of attracting new business – and so, it is likely that free bets will be offered for those that want to bet on more unusual bets, such as what moves a player or coach might make.

Having legalised sports betting and gone as far as to allow sports betting inside stadiums and sportsbooks to be built within 5 blocks of a stadium, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to bet on Matt Nagy’s potentially imminent demise as head coach of the Chicago Bears. However, with the legalisation of sports betting within the state there has also been a whole host of online casinos that will let you bet on anything sports-related, including Matt Nagy’s possible departure. If you enjoy placing a bet then the odds might be worth watching for a while, because sportsbooks seem convinced that Matt Nagy’s days are numbered.

The Future for Sports Betting

Sports’ betting is likely to continue to be allowed in this way, however with more regulation. This allows governing bodies to have peace of mind that the gambling that is being promoted is safe and fair for everyone involved. It also means that websites and apps that offer sportsbooks betting will be forced to follow a gamble safe initiative, which is something that most people consider important. It is likely to become the responsibility of the website or app in question to make sure that the people using their services meet affordability criteria to be able to do so.

 

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