NFC North rivals Green Bay and Chicago square off on Thursday night football this week and it’s looming as a must-win game for both teams.
The Packers need the win to move to the top of the NFC North standings with a game advantage, but a loss will see them fall to 2-2 on the season and a loss to a division rival wouldn’t be ideal.
The Bears need the win to stay above water at 2-2 and starting the season 1-3 would be devastating in a division which looks one of the strongest this season. Despite many bettors thinking this will be a one-sided game, bookmakers are respecting the chances of the Bears, which are only –7 underdogs.
Green Bay Packers form
The Packers have been a touch inconsistent in three games this season and they needed an Aaron Rodgers comeback to beat the lowly Cincinnati Bengals on Monday. The Packers started the season with a win against the Seahawks, but that form hasn’t been franked and it then suffered a 34-23 loss to the unbeaten Falcons. They trailed the Bengals by 21-7 last round before producing another class comeback with quarterback Aaron Rodgers leading the way with stellar QB play.
Rodgers has thrown for six touchdowns and three intercepts and he typically shoulders most of the blame if things go wrong. He doesn’t have many targets to throw to, but Rodgers is one of the premier quarterbacks in the league and he makes a big difference. The Packers have scored seven points more than the Bears on average this season and this will likely be a case of whether the Bears can put pressure on Rodgers in the pocket.
Throughout the course of history, the Packers are tied at 94-94-6 against the Bears, but with the help of a series sweep last season, the early 50-26-6 deficit has been erased over the last 57 years.
Chicago Bears form
The Bears were staring down an 0-3 start to the season when they travelled to Pittsburgh last week, but they pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year so far. Despite making some mistakes throughout the game, the Bears won 23-17 in overtime and that victory has given them a much-needed shot in the arm.
They looked good in patches against Atlanta in week one, but looked helpless in the second round against the Buccaneers. Form is only temporary in the NFL and the Bears were quick to bounce back and give their fans something to cheer for. Quarterback Mike Glennon has been around the blocks and he doesn’t usually cut off more than he can chew, but the running game of Jordan Howard has allowed Glennon more time in the pocket.
Glennon ranks ninth in the league for passer completion, but almost last in yards per attempt. Expect the Bears to try and work down the field and take plenty of time off the clock.
The less time Aaron Rodgers has the ball, the better the outcome, so expect the Bears to use a good mix of run and short passes to try hold the ball for long periods of time. The Bears are 4-15 when facing Aaron Rodgers and his passer rating is 105.7 during those games, so the Bears will have to shut down the MVP candidate for a chance of getting the W.
Packers vs. Bears betting tip
It’s surprising to see bookmakers setting the points spread line at only 7, as we expected the Packers to be around the –12 mark. For that reason, we suggest taking the Packers at –7 (10/11 at bet365.com) as we can see them winning by at least two touchdowns. It’s tough trying to find reasons why Chicago could cover this slim margin and we can’t make a solid case for them. They’re in enemy territory against a team they have had little success over. Aaron Rodgers won’t be taking them lightly on Thursday night football, which is a prime time game, and that’s where he shines best.