Getty Geronimo Allison #81 of the Green Bay Packers catches a touchdown against Kyle Fuller #23 of the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter of a game at Lambeau Field on September 9, 2018 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Chicago Bears have been on a roll lately with their offense finally finding its form, but a false step against the division-leading Green Bay Packers this Sunday could be the end of their still-intact playoff dreams.
The Packers (10-3) have won two straight against softer opponents and have all the motivation in the world to complete the season sweep against their biggest rival, looking to maintain both their lead in the NFC North and their position as the No. 2 playoff seed in the NFC. Meanwhile, the Bears (7-6) need to come up with a massive win at Lambeau Field in order to remain in the hunt for one of the conference’s two wild-card spots.
Considering the history between these two teams and their current circumstances, the matchup has the potential to become an instant classic.
Here’s a closer look at the matchup between the two NFC North rivals along with background, stats and advice on which side to back in the Week 15 matchup.
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Bears vs. Packers Game Details
Date: Sunday, December 15
Time: Noon CT
Location: Lambeau Field (Green Bay, Wis.)
TV: Fox
Spread: Packers -4
Total: 40.5
*All odds are courtesy of OddsShark.
Line Movement
The Bears were given their fewest points at Lambeau Field since 2012 after opening as 5-point underdogs, but the line hasn’t squeezed much closer with popular books, according to VegasInsider.com. Bettors seem to be even more split with just 51 percent of public bets coming in for the Packers, according to ActionNetwork.com.
The total has stayed beneath its 40.5-point ceiling, but bettors are also counting on offense rather than defense with 58 percent of public bets taking the over.
Betting Trends
- Chicago is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
- Total has gone UNDER in 13 of Chicago’s last 8 games
- Total has gone UNDER in 4 of Green Bay’s last 5 games
- Green Bay is 6-1 SU in its last 7 home games
- Total has gone OVER in 8 of last 12 series matchups
Chicago is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games at Green Bay
*All trends are courtesy of OddsShark.
Analysis & Picks
Only once in Chicago’s four division games this season have they allowed more than 13 points, so expect the Bears defense to rise to the challenge in their most important one yet. They did a good job of shutting down the Packers in their season opener despite losing 10-3, but their ranks have taken several recent hits that could make for some difficult matchups.
Without both Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith, the Bears will have to figure out how to keep the Packers’ two-headed rushing attack — Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams — from getting going on both the ground and through the air. The effective tandem has collected 1,180 rushing yards, 652 receiving yards and 21 total touchdowns this season, which makes for a versatile challenge even with Akiem Hicks officially set to rejoin the Bears defensive line.
The Packers, though, are coming off a home game in which they defeated a bad Washington team by a mere five points. Aaron Rodgers and the offense scored two early touchdowns, then struggled for the rest of the afternoon as the defense eventually cracked for a few explosive plays against the Redskins. Limiting those same explosive plays, especially with the recent upticks in Mitchell Trubisky’s game, and restraining David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen in the run game will be essential to a Packers victory.
Pick: Packers -4
Over-under: Over 40.5
Prediction: Packers 24, Bears 21
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