Rams vs. Bears Betting Preview: Chicago Has Thrived Recently as Home Underdog
Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears (+3)
Sun. 12/9, 8:20 p.m. ET
Four things you need to know before betting on Rams-Bears:
1. The Bears look to bounce back from their first loss since October when they host the high-powered Rams on Sunday night. Chicago had won five straight games (both straight up and against the spread) before stumbling in New Jersey and losing 30-27 in overtime to the Giants. The Bears have been a different team at home this season, having won and covered in five of six games at Soldier Field with the lone defeat being a Week 7 loss to the Patriots. On their home turf, they are outscoring opponents by an average score of 31 to 20.
2. Not only have the Rams lost six of their past eight trips to Chicago (straight up and against the spread), but they have had problems this season than many may realize, allowing 6.1 yards per play (7.3 yards per pass attempt and 4.5 yards per carry). Chicago is 9-2-1 against the spread as a home underdog since the start of the 2016 season, with the two ATS losses coming to New England earlier this season and to Washington on Christmas Eve 2016 when then-quarterback Matt Barkley threw five interceptions in what would turn out to be his final home game as a Bear.
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3. Bears starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is expected to play on Sunday night after having missed each of the past two contests with a sprain of the AC joint in his throwing shoulder. Trubisky has completed 65% of the passes he has attempted at Soldier Field this season while averaging 271.2 passing yards per home game with 16 touchdowns and just six interceptions. The Rams are 3-11-3 against the spread since the start of 2016 when facing a team that connects on at least 64% of its pass attempts.
4. Los Angeles quarterback Jared Goff will be playing his second game this season in sub-freezing temperatures. He completed only 14 of 28 passes for 201 yards, no touchdowns and an interception in the first cold-weather game he played this season, a game the Rams won 23-20 as a seven-point favorite in Denver. (The only previous game Goff started in his NFL career in which game-time temperatures were below 38 degrees was a 24-3 loss in Seattle in December 2016, a game in which he completed 13 of 25 pass attempts for 135 yards.) Unlike the game against the Broncos, Goff will be facing the NFC's top defense, as Chicago is allowing a conference-low 318 total yards per game. The Bears have also held 2018 opponents to an average of 85.8 rushing yards per game, the second-best mark in the NFL behind only the Saints.
Pick:Chicago +3
Confidence Level:Moderate (on a scale of Low/Moderate/High/Very High/Extremely High)
