Getty Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Two teams looking for their first win of the season clash when the Chicago Bears visit the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon.
The Broncos won the last meeting 17-15 on November 22, 2015 in Chicago and they lead the all-time series 8-7. Mitchell Trubisky played poorly in Week 1 and the Bears lost 10-3 against the Packers despite a solid display from their defense. while the Raiders beat the Broncos 24-16 last Monday.
Chicago Bears (0-1) vs. Denver Broncos (0-1)
Sunday, September 15 at 4:25 PM ET
Ford Field
Coverage: CBS
*All odds and betting info courtesy of OddsShark and originally posted by Intertops
- Bears -2 vs. Broncos
- Over/Under: 40
Chicago Bears
Volume 2, Issue 2: High Stakes
Mitchell Trubisky looked terrible against the Packers, he completed just 26 of 45 passes for 228 yards and one interception. He had a 57.8 completion percentage, a miserable 5.1 yards per attempt and he took five sacks.
Allen Robinson caught seven passes for 102 receiving yards and he was the only Bears player who contributed to the passing game constantly. Trubisky will likely continue to trust Robinson like he did against the Packers so expect him to have a big game in Denver.
Defensively, the Bears were able to shut down the Green Bay run game and pressure Rodgers in the pocket and they should have similar success against the Broncos but Trubisky and the offense have to wake up.
Denver Broncos
Working for the weekend.
The Broncos went 6-10 last season, losing their last four games and they decided to clean house. Hiring former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio as their new head coach will eventually pay off but he is a defensive mind and they need their offense to be more effective.
New starting quarterback Joe Flacco looked broken against the Raiders, completing 21 of 31 passes for 268 yards and one touchdown in garbage time in a 24-16 loss. Royce Freeman ran for 56 yards on 10 carries and Emmanuel Sanders caught five passes for 86 yards and one touchdown.
Courtland Sutton also had a big game, making seven receptions for 120 yards, helping prolong numerous drives when Flacco targeted him but the Broncos now face one of the best defenses in the NFL and the Chicago secondary is significantly better than Oakland’s, which makes this game a tough test for him.
Trends and Prediction
The Chicago Bears are:
- 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against a team with a losing record
- 4-0 ATS in their last four games after scoring less than 15 points in their previous game
- 4-1 ATS in their last five road games
- 6-2 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up loss
- 6-2 ATS in their last eight games following an ATS loss
- 5-0 ATS in their last five meetings
The Denver Broncos are:
- 8-20-1 ATS in their last 29 games overall
- 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games on grass
- 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games following an ATS loss
- 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 games after allowing more than 250 passing yards in their previous game
The Broncos played last Monday, while the Bears haven’t played since September 5, which means that they had an extra few days to regroup for this crucial contest. The defense did their part against the Packers and it will get the job done in Denver, backing Trubisky concerns me but the Bears are the better team and they can’t afford to go 0-2. I’m taking Chicago to do whatever it takes to win and I like that they’re laying less than a field goal here.
Pick: Bears -2
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