The Cincinnati Bengals blew a fantastic chance to get back to .500 and remain in the playoff race in the AFC. At 5-7 they might already be out of the chase, but will definitely be so with one more loss. The Bengals should be able to bounce back in Week 14 as they will host the Chicago Bears.
Chicago is one of the worst teams in the NFL and seems destined for a high pick in the draft. Cincinnati led the Steelers 17-0 late in the first half on Monday Night Football before blowing the lead and losing on a last-second field goal. They would have been only one game out of wild card contention with a win but now need to be perfect down the stretch and get some help.
Cincinnati has to put up an impressive display in this contest to give its fans reason to believe a storybook regular season finish is possible. The Bears have been competitive in most games this year and hope to pull the upset.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 14 game is set for Sunday, December 10, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET at Paul Brown Stadium.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Chicago Bears (Check Back Later)
Cincinnati Bengals (Check Back Later)
Over/Under (Check Back Later)
Odds Analysis
There is no spread yet as the Bengals played on Monday, but there should be one soon. Even though Cincinnati has been up and down this year, it is the more talented team with a more experienced quarterback. There is little question Cincinnati will be favored.
The scoring total could be quite low. Both of these teams have struggled to score points at times, and this one could be a race to see if one of them can get to 20.
Injury Report
Vontaze Burfict — The Bengals linebacker had to be taken off on a stretcher after absorbing a big hit from Pittsburgh wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in the fourth quarter last time out. He is a key player in the middle of the defense so look for an update on his condition.
Kyle Long- The Bears’ standout guard has a shoulder injury that could result in him going on injured reserve. It would be a big loss, especially considering Chicago is rolling with a rookie quarterback in Mitchell Trubisky under center. The Bears need to keep the pressure off him, and Long’s expected absence won’t help matters.
Cairo Santos - Chicago put its kicker on injured reserve with a groin injury, ending his season. In a corresponding move, the Bears signed Mike Nugent to kick. He is a veteran so it’s likely not a huge downgrade, but could be important if this game is close.
Player To Watch
Trubisky -- The Bears made the young North Carolina product the first quarterback taken in the draft at No. 2 overall. That could prove to be a poor decision based on the way Deshaun Watson began his career before suffering a torn ACL.
Trubisky was always seen as a raw prospect but he is getting his chance to learn on the job this season with the Bears in rebuilding mode. The team has lost five in a row and he isn’t playing particularly well. Trubisky has thrown for 1,237 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions on the year.
Trubisky has rushed for 194 yards and averaged 6.7 yards per carry on the ground, which is a nice wrinkle. He has a ways to go and this will be a tough road test for the youngster. The Bears hope a solid ground game that features Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen will help make it easier on Trubisky. That has generally been the formula for success when the Bears have won games this year.
Free ATS Pick
It was a gut punch for the Bengals last time out, and the loss to the Steelers likely ended their playoff hopes. All they can do is try to stack some wins at this point, and should be able to do it in this one.
The Bears have some solid young pieces but are still quite a ways away from being a good team. When a young quarterback goes on the road it is often a tough place to play. Take Cincinnati to have a dominant showing on defense and pull away for this victory.
Keep an eye on the spread. If it is too small, the Bengals will be the choice to cover.
NFL Odds: Bengals 27, Bears 16
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