With such a rich and storied history, you can throw the records out the window when these teams meet. And the Chicago Bears are hoping to do just that. Not where they expected to be once the year began, the Bears have seen their season unravel with the help of numerous injuries. The postseason looks like a long shot for the Bears and their Thursday night matchup with the Green Bay Packers has become their own playoff game. Chicago has regressed in Year 2 of the Jim Fox era, but a win at Lambeau in Week 6 would be sweet.
This contest in Week 7 of the regular season will go down Thursday, October 20, 2016, at 5:25 p.m. ET at Lambeau Field.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Chicago Bears +9
Green Bay Packers -9
Over/Under 47
Odds Analysis
Green Bay saw its four-game win streak in the series come to an end in the last meeting when the Bears won 17-13 in Lambeau as a 7.5-point dog. The Pack was pegged as a 9-point favorite on the opening line and was getting 60 percent of the early wagers. Prior to that last meeting, the Packers had gone 8-1 ATS, but Green Bay hasn’t been clicking and the line seems a bit steep for my liking. The over/under seems a bit high with teams that are struggling to score consistently.
Injury Report
Jay Cutler – While Cutler remains sidelined with a thumb injury, the Bears offense continues to struggle. Cutler’s replacement, Brian Hoyer, has put up decent numbers and the Bears have been able to move the football. But they’ve had a tough time scoring and Hoyer’s lack of arm strength has deprived the team’s deep threats of making plays.
Demarious Randall – Green Bay lost another cornerback to injury when Randall hurt his groin against Dallas. The Pack is still without Sam Shields and Quentin Rollins and Randall’s backup, LaDarius Gunter was beaten for a touchdown by the Cowboys. The thin secondary will allow the Bears to take some shots in an attempt to open up their stagnant offense.
Key Stat
The Bears have done a nice job all season of moving the football between the 20-yard lines and continued that trend against the Jaguars on Sunday. However, another season-long issue with the team has been its inability to score points. Chicago amassed nearly 400 yards of offense in its game with Jacksonville and ranks seventh in the league with an average of 375.2. But the Bears managed just 16 points and lost 17-16. Chicago is near the bottom of the NFL rankings with an average of just 16.8 points per game.
Chicago scored just one touchdown on its 11 possessions and settled for field goals on three of four red zone drives. Their inability to score six points was the difference in their one-point defeat. But it’s been a consistent problem for the Bears. They entered the Jacksonville game tied for 20th in red zone touchdown percentage having converted just eight of 15 trips into touchdowns. That number took a hit when the Bears scored just one touchdown on their four drives inside the Jaguars’ 20-yard line.
Free ATS Pick
Adding to the unpredictable nature of the NFL is the hatred these teams have for each other. I’m sure the players are cool with each other off the field, but when the game begins and the helmets are strapped on, this rivalry is fierce. And because of that, the outcome is always in doubt. Just last year, the Bears carved out an upset in Green Bay as a 7.5-point underdog. The likelihood of that happening on Thursday appears remote as the Bears have simply struggled to score points and the defense isn’t good enough to keep even average teams in check.
The Packers had a humbling experience and were booed during their home loss to the Cowboys in a rare occurrence. Aaron Rodgers didn’t look like the Rodgers we’re used to seeing and the offense again struggled. The bottom line is that the Packers will prevent the Bears from scoring enough points to get a victory, but they won’t put the game away. The defense has done a nice job of keeping Chicago in games and they will limit the Pack from running away with this one. Nine points is plenty for the Bears.
NFL Odds: Packers 24, Bears 17
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!
