Patriots vs Bears Betting Line
The New England Patriots (10-2) will battle the Chicago Bears (9-3) this Sunday in a huge game at Soldier Field. If it weren’t Tom Brady and the Patriots coming to town, we’d talk about how intimidating Soldier Field can be for visiting teams. Unfortunately for the Bears, it is Tom Brady and the Patriots.
Heading into NFL week 14, the Patriots are leading the AFC East while the Bears lead in the NFC North. Both of these teams have a tight, 1 game lead in their respective divisions, so it’s a critical game for each of them.
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New England Patriots vs Chicago Bears Odds
- Sportsbook.com: Patriots -3 (even, -140 ML), Bears +3 (-120, +120 ML). O/U: 38
- Bodog.com: Patriots -3 (-105, -155 ML), Bears +3 (-115, +135 ML). O/U: 38
- BetOnline.com: Patriots -3 (even, -140 ML), Bears +3 (-120, +120 ML). O/U: 37.5
- PlayersOnly.com: Patriots -3 (even, -140 ML), Bears +3 (-120, +120 ML). O/U: 38
New England Patriots at Chicago Bears Prediction
Both teams are coming into this game with big winning streaks on the line, but one of them will be coming to an end. The New England Patriots have won their last 4 games, including a 45-3 thumping of the New York Jets last week.
The Chicago Bears will be entering this game riding a 5-game winning streak, including an impressive 31-26 victory at Soldier Field against the high flying Philadelphia Eagles in week 12.
*Que Bruce Buffer.
Who’s Gonna Win?
Which Jay Cutler is going to show up? Will it be the INT prone Cutler or the other guy? Playing well in the past few games, Cutler hasn’t been making silly turnovers like he was earlier in the season. If Cutler plays well, this could be a great game.
The Patriots defense has struggled against the pass this season (31st in the NFL), giving up 276.8 yards per game, 21 TD’s, and 183 1st downs (worst in the league). They also give up a lot of passes in the 10-30 yard range – possibly good news for the Bears. Cutler could take advantage of this, and potentially put up some big numbers against the Patriots.
However, the Patriots defense has 18 interceptions this year, so expect guys like CB Devin McCourty, free safeties Pat Chung & James Sanders, SS Brandon Meriweather, and OLB Rob Ninkovich to look for opportunities to pick off Cutler. Since the Bears running backs hold onto the ball so well, the Patriots defense will have to find other ways to create turnovers. The Patriots defense has only 21 sacks on the season, and they won’t pressure Cutler as much as he’s used to. With fewer chances to sack Cutler or force fumbles, it’ll be up to these guys to get the job done.
To set up their big passing plays, the Bears will need to establish the run – which I’m not so confident about. New England gives up an average of 114.1 rushing YPG (19th in the NFL), but Matt Forte and Chester Taylor don’t pose a huge threat. However, Forte and Taylor have only fumbled 3 times the entire season, so while they may not break any big plays, the running game can do just enough to help their receiving core. If Forte is effective early in the game, Cutler will have a lot of shots at Knox and Bennett.
New England has been slightly above average in every offensive category, but they rank 1st in the league with an average of 31.6 PPG. The main reasons are because they convert well on 3rd & 4th downs, don’t get a lot of penalties, and they’re +14 on turnovers. Oh yeah, and they have a quarterback named Tom Brady. Heard of him? Brady has thrown 27 TD’s this year, with just 4 interceptions.
The Patriots are accustomed to scoring at will, but they’re going to be in for a big test against one of the best defenses in the NFL. Chicago ranks 2nd in stopping the run, 13th in stopping the pass, and 3rd in points allowed with an average of just 16 PPG. These dudes are stingy. Tom Brady is going to need to play like…..Tom Brady to beat the Bears this week, and Wes Welker will have to play a huge role in the slot.
My Pick
After watching them destroy the Jets last week, it’s hard to bet against the Patriots, so I’m going with them at –3 at Sportsbook.com. I don’t like betting against the Bears at home, but I don’t think the Bears defense matches up well with New England’s passing offense. Chicago’s quick defense stopped Philly and their running game, but it’s a lot harder to stop a pass-first offense.
I’ll be taking the over at BetOnline.com at 37.5. I’m expecting the Patriots passing offense to find opportunities like they usually do, and Cutler could easily beat the Patriots defense for 2-3 touchdowns as well. I think people are expecting too much out of the Bears passing defense, so the o/u is lower than it should be.
If you’re going to take the under, do it at Sportsbook.com where you can also get a free $10 NFL bet and $10 mobile bet upon your first deposit.
*For more info on NFL week 14 football games, visit the Sports Betting Lines homepage.