Though both teams are winless through two weeks, they’re in much different places. The Seahawks dropped their first two on the road, while the Bears lost both at home and will be without starting quarterback Jay Cutler. The Seahawks opened as a huge 15-point favorite and are 3-1-1 ATS in their past five games as double-digit favorites, with all of them coming at home. It’ll be tough for the Bears to cover, but two touchdowns is a lot of points.
ODDS
Seattle hit the board as a 15-point favorite with a total of 45. Laying that many points in the NFL is an awful lot and the spread was wagered down a point to -14. Seattle is 3-1-1 in its last five games when laying double-figures with all five coming at home.
KEY INJURIES
Jay Cutler – Has not practiced this week and it appears that he won’t play Sunday, as he continues to nurse a strained hamstring. Jimmy Clausen will start if Cutler is unable to play and David Fales, just elevated from the practice squad, will be the backup.
Alshon Jeffery – May miss another week with a lingering hamstring injury. The Bears top receiver suffered a setback last week and missed practice in advance of Sunday’s game, putting his status in question.
Bobby Wagner – Was limited in practice due to an ankle injury suffered last week. He’s listed as questionable, but in all likelihood will play on Sunday.
KEY MISMATCH
The return of Kam Chancellor to the Seahawks secondary doesn’t bode well for the Bears, no matter who starts at quarterback for them. It’s looking like Clausen will get the nod over the injured Cutler and will make his 12th career start since joining the league in 2010. History isn’t on Clausen’s side, though. The 27-year-old is 1-10 lifetime as a starter, but the majority of those starts occurred in his rookie year with the Carolina Panthers. “I feel way more comfortable now,” he said. Clausen lacks the powerful arm that Cutler has, and the Bears certainly don’t want him pushing the ball vertically into the Legion of Boom in a raucous road environment. It’s paramount for the Bears to control the ball early and chew up some clock to get Clausen into a rhythm. Seattle’s great linebackers will be watching for the short passes to Matt Forte while Chancellor and Earl Thomas will smother tight end Martellus Bennett. If the Bears fall behind early, things could spiral out of control.
KEY STAT
0 – The Bears are one of two teams without a sack yet this season. That’s good news for Seattle’s offensive line, which has struggled to keep Russell Wilson upright allowing nine sacks through two games.
BETTING ANGLE
Both teams are in the same place after two weeks of the season but there appears to be much more of an upside to the Seahawks. Since 1990, 24 teams rallied from an 0-2 start to make the playoffs and many believe Seattle will join that group. Difficult schedules, roster holdouts, injuries or an infusion of new talent are reasons for 0-2 starts. The Seahawks, for example, had the perfect storm of problems. Safety Chancellor held out, the O-line was reshuffled and they opened with a pair of tough road matchups. Coach Pete Carroll is looking at this game as fresh to start to the season. Seattle plays its home opener against a team that is weak on defense and doesn’t have its starting quarterback. Playing at CenturyLink Field for the first time, the Seahawks look to win for the 27th time in 29 home games.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
It’s hard to make a case for Chicago in this one without Cutler and Jeffery banged up. But the Bears are getting a lot of points and Clausen may be able to handle the noise better than Cutler running a more conservative offense. Seattle gets its defensive leader back in the secondary and plays in front of its boisterous home fans, which will help motivate the Seahawks. Chicago’s defense is horrible and Russell Wilson will be able to do things he couldn’t the first two games. Watch for Jimmy Graham to be more involved in the offense after being a non-factor and Marshawn Lynch could have a big game despite his sore ankle. Seattle is a different team playing at home and they’ll have different personnel with Chancellor back in the lineup.
Seattle 31, Chicago 19
The NFL spread for this Sunday game was first available at BookMaker Sportsbook and the Seahawks were pegged as 15-point chalk. The total opened at 45. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time odds and player props during the game. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks will take place Sunday, September 27, 2015, at 4:25 p.m. ET at CenturyLink Field. The matchup will be televised live on CBS.
