Bear Digest

How loss to Green Bay damaged the Chicago Bears' playoff chances

The Bears are playing a game of bounce-back for the first time after five straight wins, and with it comes a drop in percentages regarding their postseason hopes.
Gene Chamberlain|
Caleb Williams gets a pass off before Micah Parsons can arrive for the sack in Sunday's Bears loss.
Caleb Williams gets a pass off before Micah Parsons can arrive for the sack in Sunday's Bears loss. | Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The numbers remain on the side of the Bears making the playoffs, but one loss on a Caleb Williams interception and it's all slipping.

It's up to them to keep it from slipping to far by beating Cleveland Sunday at Soldier Field.

A week and a defeat by Green Bay dropped them half a game behind the Packers in the NFC North standings and diminished their playoff chances from 76% after beating the Eagles to 64% now, according to NFL.com.

The website Playoffstatus.com dropped their chances from 90% to 82%, while The Athletic sees their playoff chances dropped only from 72% to 70%.

Their chances of getting a home-field game in the playoffs or a bye have been diminished greatly.

The Athletic gives them only a 26% chance to overtake the Packers for the NFC  North title.

Oddsmakers' numbers reflect much less confidence in the Bears as the payoff is at -200 for a playoff berth, but the Lions are right behind them at -115.

With DraftKings.com, the Bears are at +300 for the NFC North title with Detroit at +800, while Green Bay is at -240.

The Bears are 7 1/2-point favorites to beat Cleveland according to DraftKings.

The positive turns after getting beyond the first Packers game are three of their final  four are at home, where they are 4-1 on the year. Also, the remaining severity of their schedule has dropped from what was once the toughest remaining schedule to ninth toughest with opponents owning a .567 winning percentage. The Packers have the eighth toughest (.596), just behind the Lions.    

If you're the typical fatalist Bears fan and have given up on their  chances after one defeat on the heels of five straight wins, there's always the NFL draft.

They have "improved" their draft pick from the next-to-last pick in Round 1 to No. 24 overall by losing to the Packers.

They've been through too many recent seasons when the draft was the only thing to look forward to for anyone to worry about this.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.