All the Philadelphia Eagles wanted was a chance to defend their Super Bowl title. And they got it thanks to the Chicago Bears, who upended Minnesota on the final Sunday of the regular season. The Eagles won their matchup with Washington to sneak into the postseason and they can thank the Bears in person when the teams meet on Sunday at Soldier Field to conclude Wild Card Weekend. This is the only wild card game that isn’t a rematch from the regular season, though both teams are very familiar with each other.
Watch this Wild Card game live on Sunday, January 6, 2019, at 4:40 p.m. ET at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Philadelphia Eagles +5.5
Chicago Bears -5.5
Over/Under 41
Live Betting Odds Analysis
The Eagles were the underdog in every playoff game last season, yet they toppled the field on their way to the first Super Bowl title in team history. And here they are again, feeling disrespected by the oddsmakers, who pegged them as a 4.5-point dog on the opening line and saw that number wagered up a full point.
The magic of Nick Foles can’t be overlooked any longer after the backup led Philly to three straight wins to close the season. The Eagles managed to score 30 points just once in their first 13 games, but with Foles leading the way they beat the Rams, 30-23, followed by a comeback, 32-30, win over the Texans.
We expected the Bears to be better this season. But we didn’t anticipate them being this good so soon. Khalil Mack has been a difference-maker for a defense that was good before his arrival and became great after. The Bears allowed just two touchdowns and 42 points over a season-ending four-game winning streak. They covered the line and cashed the under in all of them.
Matchup to Watch
The Bears had a top-10 defense last season under Vic Fangio and the addition of Mack made them even better. They were the best against the run allowing an average of 80 yards per game on the ground and they allowed the fewest points in the NFL. The Bears ranked seventh against the pass and allowed fewer than 300 yards per game to place third.
While their weakness may have been against the pass, the Bears more than made up for it with a league-high 27 interceptions. Kyle Fuller paced the secondary with seven picks and safety Eddie Jackson had six. Jackson missed the last two regular season games with an injury and his status for Sunday is unknown. The Bears also recovered nine fumbles and led the NFL with 36 takeaways while posting a plus-12 turnover margin.
The Eagles were efficient under Foles, but he sustained an injury against the Skins and was removed from the finale. His status has been upgraded and the Super Bowl MVP will play on Sunday, but he’s going against a team that recorded 50 sacks during the year, led by Mack’s 12.5. Philly had issues with ball security during the season with 23 turnovers and a minus-6 differential.
Player to Watch
Led by their ferocious defense, the Bears won 12 games and their first division title since 2010. But in order for them to make some noise in the postseason and knock off the defending champs, they’ll need to get more from Mitchell Trubisky and the offense.
The Bears threw the football a lot more under Matt Nagy and Trubisky had decent numbers, but the offense regressed over the second half of the year. They scored more than 30 points four times over the first nine games, twice topping the 40-point mark. Over the last seven games they topped out at 27 points and twice scored fewer than 20 in a game. In four games since returning from a shoulder injury, Trubisky averaged 188.5 passing yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions.
Eagles at Bears Live Betting
With Foles hurting from a rib injury and not wanting to take additional punishment from the Bears defense, look for the Eagles to try and establish the run early. We’ll get a good dose of Wendell Smallwood, Josh Adams and Darren Sproles which will keep the score low on the live betting lines. If they keep the chains moving, Philly has a good chance to pull off the upset with their strong defense. However, the Bears aren’t going to be fazed and look for Nagy to pull a few tricks from his bag as the Bears advance with a cover win on the NFL betting line.
NFL Live Betting Odds Pick: Chicago Bears -5.5
NFL Score Prediction: Bears 27, Eagles 17
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