Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers Matchup Preview (12/12/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers Matchup Preview (12/12/21)

The last time the Bears played the Packers, it ended with Aaron Rodgers exclaiming that he owned the city of Chicago en route to a double digit victory at Soldier Field. This weekend, Rodgers and the Packers welcome the Bears to Lambeau Field as 12.5 point favorites, looking to cement themselves atop the NFC North and as a potential number 1 overall seed in the NFC. The Bears, meanwhile, appear to be approaching the end of an era. Amidst rumors regarding Matt Nagy’s future and the Bears’ inability to generate offense through the air, the negative sentiment in Chicago appears to be boiling over. Bears fans have all but resigned to the fact that this season is a wash, and seem to be dreading this Packers game. Will the Bears shock the NFL and pull off the upset of the weekend, or will the Packers move one step closer to home field advantage in January? We’ll find out this Sunday at 8:20 PM ET on NBC.

Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers Betting Odds

Betting Trends

Bears are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as a road underdog
Bears are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games
Bears are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 vs. NFC North
Packers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a home favorite
Packers are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games overall
Packers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 vs. NFC

The Pick

The Packers and Bears may be two of the most banged up teams in the league heading into week 14. Between Khalil Mack, Allen Robinson, David Bakhitiari, and Jaire Alexander, I can’t remember a game with more “A” level players missing, though the Packers do have a healthy starting quarterback in Aaron Rodgers — something the Bears can’t say. For this reason, I like the Packers to win at home. It feels like Nagy has lost the locker room a bit and the quarterback situation between Nick Foles, Andy Dalton, and Justin Fields lacks both rhyme and reason.

The Bears rank last in the NFL in passing offense and the Packers have a top 8 rushing defense. The Packers are going to be able to run the ball against this banged up Bears defensive front, and I don’t think the Bears are going to be able to keep pace offensively. 12 points on the spread is too much to give up in a game that I think will be low scoring, so I do think the bears will cover, though not by much.

My Prediction: Packers win 20-10, Bears cover (+12.5) and the under hits (u43.5)

TV Schedule

Date: Sunday, December, 12
Time: 8:20 PM ET
Location: Lambeau Field — Green Bay, WI
TV Coverage: NBC

Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers Live Stream

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Injuries

Chicago Bears: OLB Khalil Mack (Foot) O, WR Allen Robinson II (Hamstring) Q, DT Akiem Hicks (Ankle) Q, RB Damien Williams (Calf) Q, ILB Danny Trevathan (Knee) O, QB Justin Fields (Ribs) Q, QR Marquise Godwin (Ribs/Foot), RB Tarik Cohen (Knee(ACL)) O, OLB Jeremiah Attaochu (Pectoral) O
Green Bay Packers: OT David Bakhtiari (Knee) O, CB Jaire Alexander (Shoulder) O, OLB Za’Darius Smith (Back) O, G Elgton Jenkins (Knee(ACL)) O, TE Robert Tonyan (Torn ACL) O, WR Randall Cobb (Groin) Q, OLB De’Vondre Campbell (COVID-19) O, OLB Whitney Mercilus (Bicep) O, CB Kevin King (Hip/Knee) Q, DE LJ Scott (Quadriceps) Q

Chicago Bears Analysis

Outside of two wins against the Lions, the Bears are 2-8 on the season with a point differential of negative 98 — the sixth worst in the league. They average just 173 yards per game through the air, on fewer attempts than any other team. Though they have the 10th most rushing attempts in the NFL, they rank 20th in time of possession and 17th in rushing touchdowns. Their offense has struggled to assert their style of play and the turmoil at the quarterback position has only made matters worse. In each game they’ve won this season, they’ve had to hold opponents to below 18 points.

When this defense was healthy with Akim Hicks and Khalil Mack, they were able to beat the Bengals and Raiders and give the Steelers and Ravens a run for their money. The problem now for this Bears team is injuries. There are only 7-8 blue chip players on this roster and over half of them are injured right now. While this defensive unit remains the identity of this team, it appears two years of having one of the worst scoring offenses in the league has lowered spirits and amped up frustrations. Only the Jags and Texans average less points a game than the Bears.

Chicago Bears Depth Chart

QB: Andy Dalton
RB1: David Montgomery
RB2: Khalil Herbert
WR1: Jakeem Grant Sr
WR2: Damiere Byrd
WR3: Darnell Mooney
TE1: Cole Kmet

Green Bay Packers Analysis

Aaron Rodgers appears to be doing his best “2018 LeBron James” impression as he’s gone 9-3 overall and 10-2 against the spread this season despite having to deal with widespread injuries at some of the most crucial positions. No David Bakhtiari, no Jaire Alexander, no Za’Darius Smith — no problem. This Packers team hasn’t lost a game at home all season, and, coming off a bye week, they’ll likely continue that streak this weekend. With a remaining schedule that sees the Browns, Ravens, and Vikings, it’s imperative that the Packers win on Sunday night if they want to stay in the running for the number 1 overall seed in the NFC. Given how Tampa Bay has played on the road this season, the number one overall seed is going to be a prized achievement for whoever gets it, and no doubt this is on Aaron Rodgers mind in light of last year’s disappointing playoff exit at the hands of the Bucs.

The Packers rank 7th in the NFL in total defense and 15th in total offense. Though their defense ranks 5th in points allowed per game, at 20.2, they mysteriously have the sixth worst third down defense and the second worst red zone defense. With the emergence of AJ Dillon at running back, they’ve been able to control time of possession and force three and outs early in drives at a relatively high clip. If opposing offenses can establish some momentum in the running game with consecutive first downs, you have a chance to put up some points on the Packers — something the Bears need to do if they want to have a shot in this one.

Green Bay Packers Depth Chart

QB: Aaron Rodgers
RB1: AJ Dillon
RB2: Aaron Jones
WR1: Davante Adams
WR2: Marquez Valdes-Scantling
WR3: Randall Cobb
TE1: Josiah Deguara

Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers Daily Fantasy Picks

With the Bears defensive front hobbled and Aaron Jones still nursing an MCL injury, I like AJ Dillon to get the bulk of the carries and a lot of yards in primetime. Most casual fans see that Aaron Jones has returned to the lineup and assume AJ Dillons numbers will suffer, though if you look at last week’s game against the Rams, Dillon got twice as many carries as Jones — signaling an opportunity for a sneaky value play. The RB is currently listed at $5,900 on DraftKings and $7,500 on FanDuel.