Two teams in a tailspin at the bottom of the NFC North standings do battle at Soldier Field on Sunday as the Chicago Bears host the Detroit Lions. There may be little at stake for both teams from a playoff perspective, but the Bears (5-6 SU, 5-6 ATS) would love to halt their five-game losing skid against a Lions team (4-7 SU, 4-7 ATS) that has dropped four of its last five.
- Date/Time: December 6, 1 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Soldier Field
- TV Coverage: Fox
- Sportsbook Odds: Bears -5.5 | O/U 45 (Line History)
- Lions vs Bears Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Bears began the betting cycle as a 5.5-point favorite, but that line has settled in at -3 in the majority of spots. The Sportsbook total of 45 can still be found at some sportsbooks but it is predominantly sitting at 44.5.
Detroit News & Notes
The Lions have a new head coach for this one after parting ways with Matt Patricia following an ugly 41-25 Thanksgiving Day loss to the Houston Texans. Darrell Bevell takes over on an interim basis and is tasked with reinvigorating a Lions roster that is allowing the second-most points in the NFL while ranking a pedestrian 22nd in points per game to date (22.9).
A tilt with the Bears in Chicago isn’t exactly the best place to rejuvenate the offense, but there are still players to monitor heading into the week for daily fantasy purposes. The most notable is tight end T.J. Hockenson, who erupted for 89 receiving yards on eight catches against the Texans and offers reasonable upside at a DFS position that has become increasingly difficult to fill.
Chicago News & Notes
The Bears might be close to making their own personnel moves after going from division leader to the periphery of the NFC North basement. At the core of Chicago’s lengthy struggles: an offense that looks like it’s operating in quicksand, having scored no more than 25 points in any of the past five games en route to a 19.6 ppg average for the season that ranks 29th overall.
That said, there could be hope on the horizon, at least where the run game is concerned. David Montgomery is coming off a season-high 103 rushing yards on just 11 carries in last week’s 41-25 loss to the Packers, and fared decently (13 carries, 64 yards) in the first meeting between these teams. Detroit allows 133.7 rushing yards per game, fifth-most in the league.
Betting Pick: Bears -3 (-110)
Chicago won’t find a better opportunity to turn things around, facing a disjointed Lions team on friendly soil.
- The Lions are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games on the road.
- The Bears are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games vs the NFC North.
- The UNDER is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings in Chicago.
