Chicago Bears (2-2, 2-2 ATS) @ Carolina Panthers (2-2, 2-2 ATS)
*ATS= against the spread
BETDAQ Line: Carolina -2.5 (45.5)
Significant Injuries
Chicago: G Matt Slauson (questionable– ankle), C Roberto Garza (questionable– ankle), DT Jay Ratliff (questionable– head), LB Shea McClellin (questionable– hand), DE Jared Allen (questionable– illness)
Carolina: RB Fozzie Whittaker (questionable– hamstring), RB Jonathan Stewart (questionable– knee), DE Frank Alexander (out– suspension), RB DeAngelo Williams (out– ankle), DE Greg Hardy (out– personal)
Recent Trends
Chicago is 7-19 ATS in their last 26 games vs. NFC opponents
Chicago is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a double-digit home loss
Carolina is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home games
Carolina is 3-1-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between these 2 teams
The underdog is 5-0-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings between these 2 teams
The OVER is 14-3 in Chicago’s last 17 road games
The OVER is 7-1 in Carolina’s last 8 games following a loss
The UNDER is 9-0 in Carolina’s last 9 games vs. NFC opponents
Three reasons to back Chicago
1. The Bears have an excellent offense that is oozing with elite skill-position talent, guys like Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett, and Matt Forte. The Panthers, on the other hand, have a young, inexperienced wide receiving corps and a backfield that is ravaged by injuries at the moment. This is a case of one team being much more talented than the other.
2. The Carolina defense, which was supposed to be among the league’s best, has totally fallen apart over the past two weeks, surrendering 75 combined points to Pittsburgh and Baltimore. How can we have any confidence in them against the balanced yet explosive Chicago attack?
3. Carolina quarterback Cam Newton has struggled mightily this season while dealing with a cracked rib, while his counterpart on Sunday, Chicago’s Jay Cutler, is playing the best football of his career. The Bears have the better quarterback, they’ve scored more points and allowed fewer points, and they’re still somehow an underdog this week. This is a clear opportunity for sharp bettors– the wrong team is favored here.
Three reasons to back Carolina
1. The Panthers have underperformed over the past two weeks, particularly on defense, but they have all the necessary ingredients for dominance. Remember, just three weeks ago they shut down the high-powered Detroit offense, limiting the Lions to just 7 points and handing them their only defeat of the season.
2. The Bears have a leaky defense that has surrendered 25 points per game this season despite not yet facing a team that ranks in the top-15 in total offense.
3. Carolina is excellent at home, covering in 8 of their last 10 opportunities, while Chicago is simply a bad bet everywhere. The Bears have covered just 7 times in their last 25 games, a record of futility that only the Jacksonville Jaguars can match.
Prediction
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