NFL Sunday Night: Bears vs. Packers

Division foes Chicago and Green Bay face off on Sunday night on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. It’s a matchup of teams in completely different places at this point in the season. The Packers lead the NFC North standings and have championship aspirations on the mind. As it stands today, Green Bay holds the NFL’s fourth-best Super Bowl odds at +750 according to SugarHouse sportsbook.

The Bears, on the other hand, sit at just 4-8 having lost six of their last seven contests. They’ve had struggles at quarterback with Andy Dalton throwing four interceptions in a loss to the Cardinals last weekend. Justin Fields is on the mend and Chicago hopes he’ll be able to make a return from injury in time to play the Packers.

Green Bay already beat the Bears in Chicago earlier this season. Can they complete the sweep on Sunday night? Check out our preview and prediction at Betmaker.

NFL Sunday Night Preview

Green Bay has cooled off a little bit following a 7-1 start, having gone 2-2 in its last four outings. Still, Aaron Rodgers has the offense humming with outputs of 31 and 34 in consecutive weeks. The Packers boast a top 10 passing attack and have been very careful with the football. To date, Green Bay is tied for the second-least number of giveaways in the NFL with just 10.

On defense, the Packers have been dominant, ranking fifth in the league in scoring. Six of their 12 opponents have failed to score more than 17 points. They possess top 10 rankings against both the run and the pass which could cause troubles for the struggling Bears.

Speaking of Chicago, that offensive unit has been downright bad so far this season. They rank 30^th in the NFL in scoring, average less than 300 yards a game, and have turned the ball over 19 times in 12 contests. With Justin Fields still questionable for Sunday night’s matchup, don’t expect things to get much better.

On defense, the Bears have been formidable. They hold a top 10 unit in terms of total defense and have been phenomenal against the pass. Can they slow down Rodgers and Co.? That will be the difference in the game.

Betting Trends

The Packers have been an NFL best bet against the spread covering in 10 of 12 outings. That includes a perfect 5-0 mark as a home favorite though this will be the largest spread that Green Bay has seen this season. They’re currently a 12.5-point betting favorite at SugarHouse.

Another trend to follow concerns the point total. The under is 8-4 in Packers games this year and Sunday night could provide another low scoring affair. The previous meeting between these teams finished at 24-14, well below the 43.5-point total set for this weekend’s contest.

As for the Bears, they’re just 4-8 against the spread on the year. They’ve struggled to cover as an underdog with a 2-7 record against the betting lines though both of those wins did come on the road. With the poor play on offense, the under has hit eight times in the Bears’ 12 matchups.

NFL Sunday Night Prediction

With the Bears’ uncertainty at quarterback and the Packers playing in the friendly confines of Lambeau Field, it seems as though this game shouldn’t be close. Still, the two-score spread is high for any NFL game regardless of opponent.

In October, the Packers left with a 10-point victory over their division foe, a mark that would’ve fallen short of this week’s line. If choosing a team, we’d lean towards Green Bay but there may be more value in the point total.

At 43.5 points, the under is the play. Both groups boast strong defenses and with temperatures looking to be in the high teens, scoring could come be at a premium. Wisconsin looks like they’ll be hit with a little snow this week. We’ll see if it has an effect on outcome of the game.

The previous meeting failed to top the 40-point mark and we’re confident that this Sunday will yield similar results. Take the under.

NFL Pick: UNDER 43.5