Bears vs. Cardinals Point Spread: NFL Week 9 Odds, Prediction
The Cardinals enter the weekend knotted in a three-way tie for the top of the divisional standings after escaping Miami last weekend with a 28-27 victory that improves them to 3-1 over their past four games. The Bears are coming off a heartbreaking 18-15 defeat in last week’s date with Washington that ended with the Commanders scoring a game-winning touchdown on a Hail Mary pass with no time remaining. That denied the Bears a fourth straight win, and extended the team’s brutal performance on the road, where they have now lost 18 of 21 games since the end of 2021.
The Cardinals are listed as razor-thin 1-point home favourites on the NFL Week 9 odds. The Bears are pegged as a +100 bet on the NFL moneyline and the total for Sunday’s contest sits at 44.5.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Chicago bears will be making their first trip to the desert in six years when they visit the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. These two teams split their two most recent clashes, both at Soldier Field, and have taken turns winning their past seven matchups, with the road team going 6-1 over that stretch. There has been little suspense in recent dates between these teams, with six of their past eight matchups getting settled by double-digit margins. However, the Cardinals have emerged as the more reliable wager when these teams meet, covering the spread in five of their past seven overall versus the Bears, and sport a 3-1 ATS mark in their past four home dates with Chicago.
Chicago Bears
After racking up three straight decisive victories on home turf, the Bears once again failed to close the deal on the road in last weekend’s tough 18-15 loss to Washington. Chicago has averaged 29.8 points per game while going a perfect 4-0 at home this season, but have mustered just 14 points per game while losing five straight on the road, both straight up and against the spread. Despite that woeful trend, there is still plenty of reasons to like this team. The defence has been top notch while surrendering just 17 points per game, fourth best in the NFL, and has surrendered an average of just six points in the first quarter over their current 3-1 run. The key for Chicago will be whether Caleb Williams can return to form after a tough day in Washington, where he was kept out of the end zone while completing just 41.7 per cent of pass attempts. Williams will have to overcome a stingy Cardinals pass defence that has allowed an average of just 236 passing yards and three total scoring passes in four home games to date.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have kept fans on the edge of their seats during their unlikely march to the top of the NFC West standings. Arizona has needed fourth quarter rallies in each of their three recent wins, which have come by a combined margin of just four points and been settled by game-winning field goals with no time left in each of the past two weeks. However, the Cardinals can ill afford another slow start after spotting early leads to opponents in their past four games. But if Kyler Murray can maintain the vintage form he displayed last weekend, it may not matter. Murray turned in arguably his performance of the season last weekend, connecting on two scoring passes while completing 72 per cent of attempts for 307 yards, and perhaps most importantly, he has avoided getting sacked in two straight games. However, Murray must also contend with possibly the stingiest pass defence he has faced all season, which has allowed just three scoring passes over the past five games while piling up 14 sacks.
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