The Denver Broncos (7-2) go up against the Chicago Bears (4-5) at Soldier Field this week. Chicago has had a subpar season, but has shown signs of life lately, winning three of its last five. The game starts at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov 22 and can be seen on CBS.
Chicago crushed the Rams 37-13 last week. Zach Miller had a big game in the win, registering five catches for 107 yards and two TDs. Jeremy Langford contributed as well, putting up 73 yards and a TD on 20 attempts. Denver didn’t have the same success as Chicago, getting beat by the Chiefs 29-13. Brandon Marshall led the Denver defense, totaling five tackles.
Denver is a three-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 43 points.
Heading into Week 11 of league action, the Bears are 4-5 Straight Up (SU) and 5-4 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last five games, the Bears have records of 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS. The Bears have seen an uptick in scoring recently, averaging 26 points during the last five games. They average 22.1 points per game on the season. Over those five matchups, they have succeeded at passing, averaging 276.6 yards. Turning to the Bears defense, a few key spots could be deciding factors this week. The Bears have the fourth-best pass defense in the NFL and give up 217 yards per game through the air.
As for their opponent, the Broncos have a record of 5-3-1 ATS and 7-2 SU. In the previous five games, Denver has a record of 3-2 SU and 2-2-1 ATS. They come into the game averaging 22.8 points per game, but those numbers could spike. The Bears give up an average of 30.5 points at home, making them one of the worst defensive teams in the league. Denver’s defense is one of the best on the road, allowing 19.2 points per road game. Denver’s top-ranked pass defense has given its competition issues. Opponents have thrown for 183.1 yards per game against this terrorizing bunch. The Bears should be especially concerned about turning the ball over to the Broncos. The Broncos defense leads the league in turnovers with 2.8 per away game. The Broncos know how to handle late-game pressure on the road, averaging 10.2 points in the final quarter of road games. Chicago’s special teams has given up some big plays this season. The Bears allow 106.3 return yards per game, ranking 30th in the NFL.
Predictions: SU Winner – Den, ATS Winner – Den, O/U – Under
Notes
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago’s last 7 games.
Chicago is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games.
Chicago is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home.
Chicago is 5-16-1 ATS in its last 22 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Chicago’s last 10 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago’s last 6 games when playing Denver.
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Denver.
Denver is 6-0 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season. Chicago is 1-1 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
Chicago is 3-1 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle this year, and 0-2 SU in games where it loses the turnover battle.
The Denver pass defense is ranked first in the league, while the Chicago passing attack is ranked only 21st. The Broncos’ passing game is ranked just 18th, compared to the fourth-ranked pass defense of the Bears.
Chicago has allowed 30.5 points per game at home this year, which ranks it only 30th in the league. Denver has scored 24.2 points per game on the road (ranked ninth overall).
