After a grueling three-game stretch to open the John Fox era in Chicago, the Bears might actually have an opponent they can compete with. Losses to Green Bay, Arizona and Seattle have the Bears as one of four winless teams in the NFL. The Raiders are feeling good after ending an 11-game road losing streak last week and could be falling into a trap with division rival Denver on the schedule next week.
ODDS
Oakland opened as 2-point chalk with a total of 44. The Raiders snapped an 11-game road losing streak with a win in Cleveland last week and look to extend Chicago’s overall skid to nine games. The line was wagered to -3 and the total spiked to 44.5. Chicago is 0-3 ATS this season and 2-6 in its last eight overall.
KEY INJURIES
C.J. Wilson – Left last week’s game in Cleveland with a calf injury and didn’t return. The Raiders backup defensive end was to be reevaluated this week to determine the severity of the injury.
Jay Cutler – Is likely to miss at least another week with a sore hamstring. Cutler didn’t play last week and the Bears were shutout in Seattle with Jimmy Clausen getting the start.
Pat O’Donnell – Reportedly suffered a knee injury last week and is day to day after punting 10 times for 477 yards in Seattle.
KEY MISMATCH
While Derek Carr has blossomed into the Raiders quarterback of the present and future, the outlook is still cloudy in Chicago. The Bears are stuck with Jay Cutler after inking him to a mega-bucks extension last season, but he remains sidelined with a hamstring issue. Without him, last week’s loss in Seattle created more questions for the winless Bears. Backup Jimmy Clausen managed to pass for just 63 yards in the shutout loss and Fox’s options are slim if Cutler misses any more time. He can stick with Clausen or try second-year quarterback David Fales. The Bears know exactly what Clausen’s strengths and weaknesses are, but Fales, on the other hand, is the unknown. Taken in the sixth round of the same 2014 draft class as Carr, Fales has never appeared in a regular season game. But he out-gunned Carr when the two played during the 2013 college season. Fales and his San Jose State Spartans ended Carr’s perfect Fresno State season with a 62-52 win by throwing for 547 yards and six touchdowns. Carr had 519 yards and six scores.
KEY STAT
35.0 – The Bears rank last in the NFL in points per game allowed. Oakland scores an average of 25.7 points per game and has totaled 64 points in its last two.
BETTING ANGLE
The Raiders might get injured patting themselves on the back and this week’s game could be a trap for them. While Oakland is all giddy about breaking an 11-game road losing streak with last week’s win in Cleveland and a showdown at home with AFC West rival Denver looming next week, the Raiders must make another trip and play the hapless Bears. And this one could be trouble. The Bears are winless to start the John Fox era, but a case could be made that Chicago was burdened with the toughest opening three games of any team in the NFL. A close loss to Green Bay in the opener was followed by another home defeat at the hands of the Cardinals. Last week the Bears were throttled by the Seahawks in Seattle. That’s a brutal three-game slate to start the year for any club, let alone one that’s in the beginning stages of a rebuild.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
While this sets up as a trap game for the Raiders and the Bears match up well against them, it’s hard to take Chicago seriously, especially after last week. The Bears generated no offense with Clausen running the show and the team punted on every possession. Instead of trying to win a game, it was like Fox and the coaching staff were trying not to get blown out. And that’s not a way to motivate the team. On top of that the Bears started cleaning house, dealing away Jared Allen and Jon Bostic this week, as if they’re waving the white flag. The Bears will probably win a few games this season, but this isn’t one of them.
Oakland 33, Chicago 19
The NFL lines for this Sunday contest first surfaced at BookMaker and the Raiders were positioned as 2-point favorites with a total of 44. Gamble on the game between every commercial break with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen on the next play or how many points will be scored in the next quarter. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The Oakland Raiders and Chicago Bears square off on Sunday, October 4, 2015, at 1 p.m. ET at Soldier Field. The matchup will be televised live on CBS.
