NFL experts make Week 18 prediction Bears fans will love

Four of USA Today's six expert analysts are picking the Chicago Bears to beat the Detroit Lions Sunday at Soldier Field.

Rome Odunze | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears came within inches of this Sunday playing for the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs. Caleb Williams' desperation pass barely one-hopped into the arms of rookie receiver Jahdae Walker on the game's final play last week in a 42-38 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Having already wrapped up the NFC North, head coach Ben Johnson's team could be deflated. But then again look who they are playing in Week 18 at Soldier Field: a Detroit Lions team that had Super Bowl expectations and a year went 15-2 but not is out of the playoffs at 8-8.

MORE: Why the Bears' most important win of the season came on Black Friday

Johnson surely wants to beat his old team. The Bears want revenge for an ugly 31-point loss in Week 2. And, most of all, they are still playing for the No. 2 seed in the upcoming playoffs.

With all those motivations in mind, USA Today's panel of expert prognosticators agree that the Bears will beat the Lions in the regular-season finale. Four of their six pickers are going with Chicago.

Bears over Lions

Lorenzo Reyes: "Detroit appears like a team that's completely deflated and the Bears can't afford to drop a game, or they may lose seeding. The Lions may opt to rest players; take Chicago."

Blake Schuster: "Ben Johnson's team is going for a bounce-back win. At this point it'd be uncharacteristic if this Bears didn't sprint through the regular season's finish line."

MORE: Bears' Caleb Williams refutes Week 18 finale vs. Lions being meaningless

Christopher Bumbaca: "Chicago locks itself into the No. 2 seed with a win. And we all know how much Ben Johnson wants another shot at Matt LaFleur."

Lions over Bears

Jon Hoefling, "Dan Campbell is not going to let Chicago be the team that forces them into a sub-.500 season."

Ben Johnson-Dan Campbell | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

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