Bear Digest

Bears and Packers: TV, Radio, Streaming, Betting.

How to watch the Bears and Packers game Sunday night at Lambeau Field on television and streaming, with radio information, betting lines and a prediction on the game's final score.
Bears and Packers: TV, Radio, Streaming, Betting.
Bears and Packers: TV, Radio, Streaming, Betting.

Chicago Bears (4-8) at Green Bay Packers (9-3)

Kickoff: 7:20 p.m. Sunday, Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wis.

TV: NBC (Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michel Tafoya).

TV Streaming: NBC on fuboTV, free trial.

Radio: WBBM AM-780, FM-105.9 (Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer, Mark Grote).

National Radio: Westwood One (Ryan Radtke, Mike Golic, Scott Graham).

Spanish Radio: TUDN AM-1200, Latino Mix FM-93.5 (Omar Ramos, Miguel Esparza)

The line: Packers by 11 1/2 (over/under 42 1/2). Betting information at SI.com

BearDigest.com Pick: Packers 45, Bears 14.

BearDigest Record to Date: 11-1 straight up, 9-3 vs. the spread.

The Series: This is the 204th matchup. The Packers lead the series 102-95-6 and have won five straight, 10 of the last 11.

The Coaches: Bears coach Matt Nagy is 32-28 in his fourth season including 1-6 against Green Bay.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur is 35-9 in his third season and 5-0 against the Bears, with all five wins coming against Nagy.

Last Week: The Bears fell behind 21-7 by halftime and never had a possession with a chance at the lead or a tie in the second half in a 33-22 loss. Backup quarterback Andy Dalton threw four interceptions. ... The Packers had a bye week but beat the Los Angeles Rams at Lambeau Field the prior week 36-28. Aaron Rodgers threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns on 28 of 45, including eight completions for 104 yards to Davante Adams.

Injuries: Bears DE Akiem Hicks (ankle) and S Teez Tabor (illness) are out. QB Andy Dalton (hand) and WR Marquise Goodwin (foot) are doubtful. DT Mario Edwards Jr. (ribs) is questionable. ... Packers T David Bakhitiari (knee) and WR Randall Cobb (core) are out. LB De'Vondre Campbell (illness) is questionable.

What to watch: The "I still own you" controversy remains a source of controversy as Rodgers hollered this in the end zone after scoring the clinching touchdown in Soldier Field. Rodgers is 22-5 starting against the Bears. Are the Bears out to gain a measure or revenge or even retribution for being embarrassed this way? The Matt Nagy coaching watch remains in effect, although there have been no more reports of his imminent firing. Would beating the Packers save Nagy's job? The Packers have had a secondary depleted by injuries and might be a week or two from solidifying their group. The same is true with their offensive line. How does Green Bay's secondary hold up against Fields, who returns from two weeks away with broke ribs to start. Do Fields' ribs hold up? This is the first time he has had the chance to look at an opponent twice in the same season. He lost earlier 24-14 to the Packers.

Matching Up: The Bears are 30th on offense, 32nd (last) in passing and eighth in rushing. They are ninth on defense, sixth against the pass and 23rd against the run.

The Packers are 15th on offense, ninth passing and 21st at rushing. They are seventh on defense, ninth against the pass and eighth against the run.

Of Note: Backup quarterback is a rather unstable situation for both teams. If Fields' ribs do not hold up, third-stringer Nick Foles would play because of Dalton's left hand injury. Rodgers is coming off toe surgery two weeks ago and if he were to leave, the QB would be third-string Kurt Benkert because Jordan Love is on the reserve/COVID-19 list. ... Montgomery missed the earlier game against Green Bay with a knee injury and is coming off a 90-yard rushing effort but had to work through shoulder, groin and glute injuries this week despite not being on the final injury report. ... Rodgers has a career 105.9 passer rating against the Bears. ... Packers pass rusher Rashan Gary has five sacks in the last five games. ... Packers CB Rasul Douglas made a pick-6 and four pass defenses to earn NFC defensive player of the week two weeks ago.

Key Individual Matchups

Bears OLB Robert Quinn vs. Packers LT Yosh Nijman

Quinn has 11 sacks and needs a sack for his second-highest season total, coming off a November when he was chosen NFC Defensive Player of the Month. He's going to be double-teamed and chipped more than ever until Akiem Hicks returns or there is a strong pass rush off the opposite end from Trevis Gipson. Quinn isn't confining his contribution to sacks, either, as he's been instrumental at stopping the run and even defending some passes. Nijman is a former practice squad player and an undrafted free agent who the Packers have trained and then used because David Bakhtiari is still unavailable after rehabbing a torn ACL, and now backup Elgton Jenkins is out for the year following Green Bay's Nov. 21 loss to Minnesota. Jenkins started in Green Bay's October win over the Bears. Nijman has made five appearances and four starts at left tackle this season. He has allowed two sacks and 10 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

Bears S Tashaun Gipson vs. Packers TE Josiah Deguara

Gipson has had another decent season with an 87.2 passer rating against when targeted and only five missed tackles in 34 attempts. The Bears have managed to get him up near the line more and so the average depth of target for targets against him this year is only 4 yards, where last year it was 12.5 yards under former defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. So Gipson, who has allowed one TD pass according to NFL stat partner Sportradar, is more adept covering tight ends. The Bears had problems covering Robert Tonyan last year but he is out for the season with an ACL tear and Degura has had most of the snaps in the last two games. The third-round 2020 draft pick from Cincinnati made two catches in each of his five games and is picking up the offense better now. The Packers might still start 37-year-old Marcedes Lewis depending on their emphasis. Lewis is an excellent blocker who has contributed some receptions this year, as well. At 6-2, 238, Deguara is more of a "U" type of tight end who can get downfield better at age 24 than Lewis

Bears WR Allen Robinson vs. Packers CB Rasul Douglas

Robinson has returned to practice after sitting out since Nov. 8 with a hamstring injury and the Bears have missed his sure hands and route running. Darnell Mooney, in particular, benefits from having Robinson back because he doesn't attract as much coverage when the best contested-coverage receiver from 2019 and 2020 in the NFL is in the lineup. Kevin King has been injured and the entire Packers cornerback situation is up in the air for this game but Douglas has become a solid performer after the put him in the lineup. King is more prone to big mistakes but capable of big plays.

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson vs. Packers WR Davante Adams

Johnson was beaten by DeAndre Hopkins on a fourth-down play for a 20-yard touchdown pass last week and the Bears have continued to force him into situations covering the opponents' best receiver all around the field. He actually doesn't do a bad job of an impossible task but isn't Jalen Ramsey and usually opponents hit him with one key pass. Adams made that last game with a 41-yarder coming from all the way across the formation. Even though Johnson helped hold Adams to four receptions, that 41-yarder made all the difference in the game. Adams rates a strong edge over Johnson here but not greater than if the Packers can get him matched up on either of the two other cornerbacks the Bears have.

Bears LB Roquan Smith vs. Packers RB Aaron Jones

Roquan Smith is capable of matching up with any running back in pass coverage or tracking them down in the running game when 100% healthy. He's not healthy even if his name no longer is on the injury report. He gutted it out, playing through a hamstring injury on only 10 days rest last week and this will be a concern again this week as he tries to stay with Jones or A.J. Dillon. The Packers might rely on Aaron Rodgers for the big play but their running game is the key to their offense in this play-action heavy style of attack. Smith's ability to stay with the backs has to be in question until he's fully healthy, and with the way the Packers also run screens to backs it can be a problem for him keeping up with them in the open field.

Bears RT Larry Borom vs. Packers OLB Preston Smith

Borom's education continues. Smith has just five sacks on the year but can be a disruptive all-around force and is coming off the right side of the offense most of the time. The Bears like running in that direction and while Borom figured to be at his best as a run blocker because of his weight, muscle and arm length, the Bears so far have seen him as a better pass blocker than run blocker. Smith is a solid all-around performer on the edge who can be stout against the run at 6-foot-5, 265. He also has a real knack for using his reach to tip throws, with 21 over the course of his career. The Bears saw last week how that can end up.

Bears WR Damiere Byrd vs. Packers CB Chandon Sullivan

Byrd stood out in the win over Detroit but last week in the cold and rain caught only three of the seven passes thrown his way against Arizona. Byrd is at his best playing slot and looking for run after the catch. Sullivan has been pressed into a bigger role as a slot cornerback with injuries in the Green Bay secondary and hasn't excelled as he has been beaten three times for touchdowns, but is usually more comfortable covering in the short and middle areas where Byrd is most effective. Sullivan is allowing 65.1% completions, which is solid for a slot cornerback. His three TD passes allowed reflects the fact he has had to cover deeper routes and isn't as good at it. He has a passer rating against when targeted of 105.8.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOMaven


Published
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.