best sportsbook players have an interesting contest on their hands on Sunday as a slumping Chicago team hosts Seattle, who are on the hunt for a playoff spot. The Bears beat the Seahawks in Chicago during past year’s postseason, and they’ll do it again to strengthen their chances of reaching this year’s playoffs.
What: NFL Betting
When: Sunday, December 18th, 1:00 PM ET
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
Pick: Chicago Bears -3.5
Why Bet On Seattle Seahawks (6-7 SU, 8-4-1 ATS)
Seattle has now won four of their last five games after a 30-13 romp over St. Louis at home, and it was a monster of a game by rookie Doug Baldwin, who had seven receptions for 93 yards and a score, and he also blocked a punt that was recovered for a touchdown in the first quarter. Tarvaris Jackson was 21-of-32 for 224 yards and a touchdown and no picks, although he did fumble the ball twice, losing one. Marshawn Lynch was also a beast with 115 yards and a score, and he wore down the Rams on defense, which allowed them to score 20 points after halftime. The defense sacked Sam Bradford three times and in particular, end Chris Clemons was a nuisance with a sack and a constant presence in the St. Louis backfield. If there was a major negative in this game, it was that the Seahawks committed nine penalties and five of them moved the chains for the Rams. Seattle got away with it because they played a terrible St. Louis team, but if they’re going to continue this surge to the playoffs, the Seahawks can’t afford to make that many mistakes.
Linebacker Leroy Hill (stinger) and guard Robert Gallery (hip) had to leave the game late for precautionary reasons, so the Seahawks should be healthy heading into this massive game. Seattle will have to play much better if they’re going to beat the Bears on the road and it all starts with Jackson. Even though Lynch is their main offensive weapon, the Bears are 10th against the run, so Jackson has to make some plays with his arm and that is where it gets shaky for the Seahawks.
Why Bet On Chicago Bears (7-6 SU, 6-6-1 ATS)
The Bears were the latest to fall to Denver as they lost a 10-point lead with just over two minutes left and ended up losing 13-10 in overtime on the road. Caleb Hanie was 12-of-19 for 115 yards, while Marion Barber ran for 108 yards and a score, but he made two crucial mistakes down the stretch. He ran out of bounds in regulation, stopping the clock for the Broncos and then he fumbled in overtime to turn the ball over to Denver, who promptly went down and kicked the game-winning field goal. Defensively, the Bears did a good job of stopping Denver’s vaunted option attack on the ground, but Tim Tebow found his passing groove in the fourth quarter and overtime, carving the Bears’ secondary up. They sacked Tebow five times, but the secondary failed to stop the Denver receivers from finding holes and that was Chicago’s downfall in their third consecutive loss.
Matt Forte (knee) and Jay Cutler (finger) aren’t walking through the door for the Bears, while safety Major Wright (shoulder) is a concern for Chicago, who is falling down the NFL betting pecking order and this game is a must-win. The defense has to step up with Hanie at the controls because the Bears aren’t going to score many points. Seattle has a surprisingly strong defense, ranked 11th against the run and 14th against the pass and they’re red-hot right now. Hanie has to avoid mistakes, but perhaps more importantly, Barber can’t make the mistakes he made down the stretch against the Broncos. That is a game Chicago should have won and with the Seahawks hot on their heels in the playoff race, this game is massive.
How It Will Play Out
Chicago is a 3.5-point favorite at home over Seattle, who are 3-2 SU and 2-3 ATS in five meetings with the Bears since 2007, with all five meetings going over the posted total. They met twice last year, both times in Chicago, and the Seahawks won 23-20 in the regular season, but lost 35-24 in the playoffs. Chicago is 4-3 ATS at home, while Seattle is 3-2-1 ATS on the road.
This is going to be a hard-hitting game and whoever stops the run has the best chance of winning as neither quarterback can be trusted. Jackson has more experience, but he hasn’t proven to be a good decision-maker, while Hanie is a game competitor, but doesn’t have the physical attributes to be successful. This is a game that could go to overtime and the spread is a tricky number, but Chicago is a smart wager to cover the sports betting spread.
Seahawks Bears Betting Pick: Chicago Bears