Sunday Night Football Picks: Bears vs. Packers Odds & Predictions
Bears vs. Packers Odds
| Bears Odds | +12 |
| Packers Odds | -12 |
| Over/Under | 43 |
| Date | Sunday, Dec 12. |
| Time | 8:20 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBC |
On Sunday Night Football, the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers will battle in a rivalry game at Lambeau Field. Both teams enter play relatively healthy, but the Packers are tending towards the postseason, and the Bears are spiraling to the bottom of the NFC standings. Oddsmakers are expecting a relatively easy victory for Green Bay, pricing the Packers as 12-point home favorites on the spread.
Bears +12
Justin Fields will return to the field this Sunday against the Packers, but that may actually hurt Chicago’s chance of winning this contest. Per Pro Football Focus, Fields grades as the 29th best quarterback in the NFL this year out of 36 players at his position with a qualifying number of offensive snaps. When these two teams met in October, Fields totaled only 174 passing yards, taking four sacks and throwing an interception. Fields has only thrown for less than 210 yards all but once during his rookie campaign. The likely absence of Marquise Goodwin this weekend is certainly not going to make life easier for Fields.
Against the pass this fall, only the Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Football Team, and New York Jets have allowed a higher passer rating to opposing signal callers. Chicago has allowed 20 passing touchdowns against only 5 interceptions in 2021, not to mention a 67.1 percent completion rate and 7.7 yards per attempt through the air. The Bears have mediocre against the run as well, permitting 4.2 yards-per-carry on the ground, including 12 touchdowns. Chicago is relatively healthy entering this divisional showdown, but good health does not necessarily translate to strong results when there is a paucity of talent on the roster. Stopping Aaron Rodgers is likely to be a struggle, similar to when these teams met in Week 6.
Packers -12
Rodgers continues to deal with a toe injury, but bettors would not know it by his performance on the field. Since being embarrassed by the New Orleans Saints in their season opener, Green Bay is 9-1 with Rodgers under center, with their lone loss coming by three points to the Minnesota Vikings. Rodgers has once again been magnificent in 2021, throwing for 23 touchdowns against only four interceptions, compiling a 65.3 QBR, which ranks 5th in the NFL. In Week 6, Rodgers totaled an efficient 195 passing yards on only 23 attempts in a winning effort–finding the end zone twice through the air and once with his legs. The Packers continue to deal with injuries to their offensive line, but Rodgers’ quick release and Davante Adams’ elite ability to get open quickly has made poor protection a relative non-issue. Randall Cobb’s absence is unlikely to cause much of a negative impact on this passing attack.
Jaire Alexander returned to practice earlier this week for Green Bay, but he remains on injured reserve, making it unlikely that he will suit up for this one. Even without Alexander, Green Bay’s secondary unit has performed admirably–receiving surprisingly strong contributions from Eric Stokes, Kevin King, Rasul Douglas, and Chandon Sullivan. Opposing signal callers have struggled to the tune of an 87.3 passer rating against the Packers this fall, totaling only 6.7 yards-per-attempt. Green Bay has been mediocre against the run, allowing 4.3 yards-per-carry. In Week 6, Chicago totaled 140 yards on the ground. If there is any vulnerability for Green Bay in this contest, it is containing Chicago’s strong rushing attack.
Pick & Prediction
When these two
teams met earlier this season, the game totaled only 38 points, despite the fact that both teams averaged more than 5.0 yards-per-carry on the ground. On the season, Green Bay ranks 19th and Chicago ranks 29th in plays run per game. Both teams have played quicker in recent weeks, but there will need to be a tremendous increase in efficiency through the air for these two teams to combine for enough points to hit the over. Green Bay should win this affair, but rather than betting a large spread in a divisional game, bettors should consider a play on the under.
PICKS: Under 43 (-110)
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