Chicago vs Arizona Betting?
Headline: Reeling Bears Hope to Right the Ship – Travel to Arizona in Week 16
The Chicago Bears head out on the road in Week 16 looking to put an end to an ugly three game losing streak. Their opponent this week – the Arizona Cardinals – a team that had lost nine straight games before an impressive 38-10 Week 15 win against the Detroit Lions.
Chicago Bears (8-6) vs. Arizona Cardinals (5-9)
Date/Time: Sunday, December 23, 4:25 PM ET
Venue: University of Phoenix Stadium
Broadcast: FOX
Bears vs. Cards Betting Lines from Bovada
Spread: Bears -5 1/2 (-105)
Moneyline: Bears -240: Cardinals +200
Over/Under: 36 1/2 points
ATS Matchup Stats | Gambling Insight!
Check out our in-house Handicapper!!! Buy Razor Ray’s Picks Today!
The Bears absolutely need a win Sunday to keep their playoff hopes alive while the Cardinals need a win to save their coach and a fan base that has endured one of the most anemic offenses ever to grace a football field.
Remember when the Bears were 7-1 and looking like a legitimate Super Bowl contender? That seems like a long time ago – the running game was potent, Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler looked like magic and the defense was winning games all by themselves. Since then all but Brandon Marshall has gone cold and the team is 1-5 in their last six games overall.
CLICK GRAB OUR BEST Expert NFL Picks for 2012 FOOTBALL GAMBLING season!
Somehow the Bears have just the 28th ranked passing game in the NFL averaging just 186.36 yards per game – Brandon Marshall looks as though he has 120 yards per game all by himself! The rushing attack is an OK 12th in the NFL and the Bears offense is middle of the pack in scoring 22.93 points per game – 16th in the NFL. Chicago is an OK offense that simply isn’t getting it done the last two months.
The Bears defense has suffered some debilitating injuries that last few weeks which has contributed to the team having a more difficult time on the defensive side of the ball. Still, this team is 6th against the pass and 12th versus the run. The Bears allow just 17.14 points per game – 3rd in the NFL and they are still a threat to turn the ball over and take it in for a score. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The Arizona Cardinals started the season 4-0 but have gone just 1-9 since. A win last week certainly helps the confidence factor but the fact remains – this is a BAD offense! The Cardinals enter Sunday’s game with the league’s worst rushing offense averaging just 80 yards per game, the NFL’s 29th ranked passing game averaging just 184.21 yards per game and the team as a whole scores 16 points per game – 30th in the NFL.
Arizona’s defense has been OK – 4th against the pass but a disappointing 28th versus the run. This unit has shown the ability to keep the opposition off the score sheet however – they allow an average of 21.57 points per game – good for 11th in the NFL.
Betting Prediction:
A few trends to consider:
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago’s last 5 games on the road
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona
• Chicago is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Arizona
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago’s last 6 games
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona’s last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
• Arizona is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona’s last 6 games
• Arizona is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Chicago
Simply put, the Chicago Bears have a ton to play for – the Cardinals do not. The Bears have their back against the wall and if they can’t get up for this game, there is no hope for them in the playoffs. Sure the Cardinals won last week but I consider that a blip on the radar.
Chicago is still a formidable team despite the recent struggle – Arizona is in the bottom tier or two of NFL teams. Expect Matt Forte to have some success early and for Brandon Marshall to do some damage as well in this one.
This SHOULD be a laugher for Chicago!
Pick: Chicago Bears -5 1/2
