You would never guess that the Chicago Bears have a better record than the Los Angeles Rams coming into Monday Night Football this week. The Rams have been talked about as a Super Bowl contender and have 21-1 odds to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, while the Bears have odds of 42-1 and are roundly dismissed. Los Angeles’ overall stats are much better than Chicago’s too, but the Bears are 5-1 and the Rams are 4-2.
NFL Odds at Bookmaker.eu
Chicago Bears +6
Los Angeles Rams -6
Total 45
Chicago hoped that replacing Mitch Trubisky with Nick Foles would light a spark with this offense, but that has failed to happen. Foles actually has slightly worse overall numbers than Trubisky, and he is not the same mobile threat as the soon to be free agent.
The Bears currently rank 26th in offensive DVOA. That puts them in the bottom quarter of the NFL, and there is only one team with a worse offense that has won more than one game this season. Opponents know that Chicago can’t move the ball through the air effectively, and this team has only one real receiver, so defenses gear up to stop the run.
Allen Robinson II has been the lone star on this side of the ball. Robinson has 40 receptions for 474 yards and two touchdowns, and he has more than twice the production of any other player on this team. His 11.9 YPC is tops among receivers with at least ten targets, and he has as many plays of 20 yards or more as the rest of his teammates.
The Rams shouldn’t have much trouble stopping the Bears’ offense. LA does sometime struggle to contain the run, but Chicago is a great match-up for this team. Jalen Ramsey has the talent to shut down Robinson as the Rams’ lockdown cornerback, and Aaron Donald can completely blow up anything the Bears want to do in the backfield. LA doesn’t have to respect the run or play action, so Donald and the other linemen can pin their ears back and make life tough for Foles.
After a disappointing 2019 campaign, the Rams look like one of the top offenses in the league once again. This offensive line is healthy, and that has helped unlock everything that Sean McVay wants to do on offense.
Jared Goff isn’t an elite quarterback, but he has been solid for this team. He is completing 67.4 percent of his passes for 8.3 YPA with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions, and his offensive line has only allowed him to be sacked seven times in six games.
Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods have been Goff’s top targets, and they have very similar numbers. The run game has done a good job of keeping the Rams ahead of schedule in terms of down and distance too, as Darrell Henderson Jr., Malcolm Brown, and Cam Akers are all running well.
Chicago has one of the best defenses in the league. The Bears have done a great job shutting down other team’s gameplans, and they rank fifth in DVOA. Khalil Mack is having another Pro Bowl season with 4.5 sacks and 6.5 TFL, while Akiem Hicks has been a huge playmaker up front. Hicks has 3.5 sacks and 7.5 TFL, and he has been able to help open lanes for Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan to make plays.
The secondary is allowing 6.1 YPA, but the Bears have only played one offense that is currently rated in the top 12 in offensive DVOA.
Prediction
The Rams are likely going to be a public team given the perception surrounding the Bears, but this defense is good enough to keep it within the number.
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!
