Packers vs. Bears Point Spread: NFL Week 1 Odds, Prediction
For the first time in 30 years, a quarterback not named Aaron Rodgers or Brett Favre will have the keys to Green Bay’s offence. That responsibility instead goes to Jordan Love and his crew of young playmakers.
Coming off a 3-14 season the Bears flipped their first-overall draft pick for star receiver D.J. Moore to pair with quarterback Justin Fields, who had an electric sophomore season in 2022. This move parlayed with several other big free agent splashes makes 2023 a massive year for the Bears long-term future.
Kickoff at Soldier Field Sunday begins at 4:25 p.m. EDT with Chicago a one-point favourite and the total at 43 on the NFL odds.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
It’s been all Green Bay when these two teams clash, but again that was all with the now departed Rodgers for Green Bay. The Packers hold a eight game win streak versus the Bears both outright and against the spread. The Bears have a single home victory in their last 13 times hosting Green Bay.
Chicago dropped 10 straight to concluded their 2022 campaign, covering once in their final eight games. The Bears are also 1-10 ATS in their last 11 against their division, the NFC North. Green Bay’s been superb in September in recent years covering in 11 of their last 14 September outings.
The Packers have the longest odds to win the NFC North at +401, while Chicago is just ahead at +381.
Green Bay Packers
Rodgers got a taste of the new-look Packers offence being traded, and now 24-year-old pivot Jordan Love is getting a full year with a cast of either first or second-year pass-catchers. Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are back for year two as WR1 and WR2, while rookies Jayden Reed and Luke Musgrave make up the rest of Love’s options. Veteran running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon are back as well as Pro Bowl offensive linemen David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins.
A lot of the same key pieces are back for Green Bay on defence, a unit that took a big dip in 2022. Green Bay used their first-round pick to select defensive end Lukas Van Ness, who is slated to lineup behind Preston Smith. Pass-rusher Kenny Clark, linebackers De’Vondre Campbell and Rashan Gary, and cornerback Jaire Alexander make up the top talent on this unit.
Chicago Bears
Acquiring D.J. Moore was the splash off-season move for Chicago, and arguably their most important but the Bears were extremely busy building up their roster. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds accepted a four-year $72-million deal while defence linemen Yannick Ngakoue, DeMarcus Walker, and Andrew Billings all came over in free agency into starting roles.
Fields is coming off a 25-touchdown season in which he also rushed for over 1,100 yards too. His pivotal third NFL season has him equipped with Moore as his star receiver, along with Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool. Khalil Hebert is to begin the season as the team’s RB1, but free agent signing D’Onta Foreman should be in the backfield mix as well as 2023 fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson.
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