New England Patriots Are 3-Point Favorites at Chicago Bears

Elsa/Getty ImagesThe Chicago Bears (9-3) and New England Patriots (10-2) go toe-to-toe Sunday in a Super Bowl XX rematch, which could prove to be this season’s Super Bowl matchup. NFL odds makers aren’t expecting the Bears to put the hurt on the Pats like they did in nfl jerseys
that Super Bowl showdown. In fact, they have listed the Patriots as three-point favorites with the total set at 40.5. New England is tied with Atlanta for the best record in the NFL. The Patriots certainly looked like the best team in the league when they destroyed Rex Ryan’s New York Jets by 42 points on Monday Night Football. The Patriots have averaged 40.0 points during their four-game win streak. The Bears enter Sunday’s showdown having won five in a row. They were not particularly impressive in last week’s 24-20 win at Detroit, but they were in a 31-26 home win over Philadelphia the previous week. This one is being billed as a classic battle of offense versus defense. The Patriots boast the league’s top scoring unit (31.6 points per game) while the Bears have the NFL’s third-best defense in terms of yards (300.3) and points (16.0). New England has been winning the battle against strong defenses lately. In addition to completely dismantling the Jets, the Pats put up 39 points on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Nov. 14 win. Getting one less day than Chicago to prepare, however, could loom large. Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesThe Bears have found ways to win against teams quarterbacked by Tony Romo, Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre and Michael Vick, but beating Tom Brady appears to be an even taller task. Brady has thrown 17 touchdown passes with no interceptions the last seven games. He has 27 touchdown strikes and only four interceptions on the season. His 27 touchdown passes lead the league and so does his 109.5 passer rating. While New England boasts one of the best offensive attacks in the league, its defense leaves plenty to be desired. In fact, it ranks 31st in the NFL in total defense, giving up 390.9 yards per game. The Patriots have especially struggled to defend the pass, giving up 276.8 yards per game through the air (31st in the NFL). The Bears will have an excellent opportunity to take advantage of the New England defense if Jay Cutler can continue his efficient play. During Chicago’s five-game win streak, Cutler has thrown 10 touchdown passes with only three interceptions. He has thrown for five scores with no picks the last two weeks. The Bears have taken some of the pressure off Cutler by sticking with their running attack. Chicago has run the football a minimum of 28 times during its win streak while going over the century mark in each game. Offensive balance will continue to be the key to football jerseys
victory this week. If the Bears try to force the issue through the air, the chances of Cutler throwing some costly interceptions will increase greatly.It is worth noting that the Bears are 5-0 against the spread in their last five games as an underdog of 3.0 or fewer points.Be sure to visit our site this season for winning NFL picks from our expert football handicappers.