The 49ers haven’t chosen to start Jimmy Garoppolo since trading for him at the deadline, but they may not have a choice this week. Quarterback C.J. Beathard hurt his leg and possibly his head late in Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks, forcing Garoppolo into the game. If Beathard isn’t healthy enough for Week 13 it will be Garoppolo getting the call on the road against the Chicago Bears.
While both of these teams are far out of playoff contention, it would be an interesting game to watch between a pair of young signal-callers trying to prove they can turn franchises around. Chicago has Mitchell Trubisky but he is struggling in his rookie year.
San Francisco is the underdog in this matchup but Garoppolo’s presence could lead to an interesting line shift as many believe he is a star-in-waiting.
Watch this regular season Week 13 matchup live on Sunday, December 3, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET at Soldier Field.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
San Francisco 49ers +4.5
Chicago Bears -4.5
Over/Under 39.5
Odds Analysis
The 49ers are sizable underdogs and not surprisingly the money is flowing in on them at nearly an 89 percent clip. That definitely seems like the right bet, and it would be smart to choose San Francisco as quickly as possible as the spread could drop.
The scoring total is low as neither offense has shown the ability to be consistent, but once again, Garoppolo’s presence could lead to the “over” being the more prominent wager.
Injury Report
Beathard - The 49ers’ rookie signal-caller went down with just more than a minute to go against the Seahawks. He has had some decent moments this season but has mostly been overwhelmed against complicated and talented NFL defenses. San Francisco fans don’t want to see him hurt but they also wouldn’t mind if Garoppolo finally took over.
Josh Sitton — The Bears left guard is currently in concussion protocol after suffering an injury Sunday against the Eagles. He will need to undergo league-mandated tests before he can be cleared to return. Veteran reserve Bradley Sowell filled in for Sitton Sunday.
Leonard Floyd —The Bears outside linebacker has been placed on injured reserve and underwent surgery on his right knee last week to repair a sprained MCL and PCL. Floyd, who is in his second season in the league, was injured in the Bears loss to Detroit.
Deiondre' Hall —The Bears second-year cornerback has been removed for injured reserve and has returned to practice with Chicago in hopes he is healthy enough to practice with the team. Hall injured his hamstring in the last game of the preseason and has been sidelined ever since.
Raheem Mostert — The 49ers running back left Sunday’s game against Seattle with a knee injury. Mostert is the team’s third-string running back and also serves as the kick returner. No word yet on if he’ll miss more time.
Matchup To Watch
Chicago running game vs. San Francisco front -- These teams don’t have a lot of strengths, but they both line up in this one. Chicago’s Jordan Howard is having a solid season, although he was shut down last week by the Eagles. Tarik Cohen is another talented running back who is more of a pass-catcher and dangerous in space.
The Bears would love to establish the running game but San Francisco will be intent on stopping it. The 49ers have put a lot of resources into their front seven over the past few drafts, although the run defense has still been below average this year.
If Chicago can run the ball effectively, then Trubisky won’t have to do too much. That’s the plan, and one the 49ers will aim to ruffle by slowing down Howard and Cohen.
Free ATS Pick
The Bears might be the slightly better team but this spread is way too high. The crowd won’t be a huge factor since this game doesn’t mean much. The 49ers are the clear choice on the spread, and are an interesting moneyline wager that could turn a nice profit.
NFL Odds: Bears 23, 49ers 20
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