Packers vs. Bears Point Spread: NFL Wild Card Odds, Prediction
The Chicago Bears look to claim their first win in NFL playoff action in 15 years when they host the arch-rival Green Bay Packers on Saturday night in NFL Wild Card Weekend action at Soldier Field.
The Bears get set to make their first postseason appearance since January 2021 after claiming the NFC North title and the second seed in the NFC but ride a two-game losing streak after closing out their regular season schedule with last week’s 19-16 loss to Detroit.
The Packers are coming off a second-place finish in the NFC North but have been forced to settle for the seventh and final seed in the conference after ending the regular season with four straight losses including last week’s 16-3 defeat in Minnesota.
A season-ending swoon has not dampened the Packers’ position on Saturday’s NFL odds, where they have emerged as slender 1-point favourites. The Bears trail as +100 underdogs on the NFL moneyline and the total is listed at 45.5.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
These century-old rivals split a pair of meetings during the regular season, with the home team emerging victorious in each, capped by the Bears’ 22-16 win in Week 16 that all but earned them the division crown.
However, the Packers have historically dominated Chicago while posting wins in 25 of 30 matchups since the start of the 2011 season. But while these teams have enjoyed a long and storied rivalry, they have previously met just twice in the NFL playoffs, with the Packers claiming a 21-14 win in the 2012 NFC championship game that marks their lone postseason matchup during the Super Bowl era.
However, the Packers must find a way to tighten up their defence, which has surrendered 28.3 points per game during their current four-game slide. The Pack have lost three straight on the road over that stretch while tallying just 15 points per game.
The Bears had little to play for last weekend after coming up short in a heartbreaking 42-38 loss in San Francisco in Week 17 that snuffed out their faint hopes of claiming the top seed.
Apart from the past two weeks, the Bears have been a reliable bet, going 10-3 ATS during an 11-2 SU run that featured five wins in seven outings as betting underdogs.
Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love has not seen action since suffering a concussion in the Packers’ 22-16 overtime loss in Chicago three weeks ago, but is expected to be ready to return under centre on Saturday night.
Love had been enjoying a steady stretch run before his injury, tossing for eight TDs in three games prior to make an early exit in Week 16. That includes a three-touchdown performance in the Packers’ 28-21 win over the Bears at Lambeau Field in Week 14, but tossed one INT in that contests and two more picks a week later in a tough 34-26 loss to Denver.
With rust most definitely a concern, Love should be backed as a -105 bet on the NFL player props to be intercepted at least once by a Bears defence that piled up a league-best 23 picks this season.
Chicago Bears
Injuries has emerged as a concern for the Bears, who published a lengthy injury report on Wednesday that featured key personnel including receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, and an array of casualties that could deplete the depth of the squad’s vaunted defence.
Moore was used sparingly in the final two games of the regular season and is nursing a knee injury that has limited him at practice this week. His absence would be a major blow to the Bears considering his steady production before being rested including 109 total yards and one scoring catch three weeks ago versus Green Bay.
However, the Bears enjoy the benefit of a dominant backfield led by D’Andre Swift, who is coming off his second career 1,000-rushing yard season and has run for four scores over the past four games.
GB
CHI