CHICAGO (1 - 0) at GREEN BAY (0 - 1) - 9/13/2012, 8:20 PM
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GREEN BAY is 143-105 ATS (+27.5 Units) in games played on a grass field since 1992.
Head-to-Head Series History
GREEN BAY is 3-2 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
GREEN BAY is 4-1 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO vs. GREEN BAY
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago's last 9 games on the road
Chicago is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Green Bay
Green Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Green Bay's last 9 games when playing Chicago
Chicago at Green Bay
Chicago: 3-12 ATS off a turnover margin of +4 or better
Green Bay: 4-0 ATS after allowing 175+ rushing yards
NFL Week 2 Preview
Bears (1-0) @ Packers (0-1) — Increased urgency for Pack after getting outrushed 186-45 in last week’s loss to 49ers; losing two home games to start season invites a disaster. Green Bay needs to run ball better than last week’s paltry 45 yards on 14 carries. Pack won last four games in NFL’s oldest rivalry (one of which was playoff game in Chicago), with wins by average score of 23-14; Chicago lost its last four visits to Lambeau by average score of 26-11. Cutler started out 1-12 last week but later led five TD drives and led NFL with nine plays of 20+ yards. Bears are 4-5 in last nine road openers, scoring 15 or less points in losses, 21+ in wins. Over last 20 years, Chicago is 7-6 against the spread as an underdog in road openers. Seven of their last eight road openers stayed under total. Short week!!!
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Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
The Chicago Bears off an easy 20-point win over the Colts last week are getting little respect from the oddsmaker as they're pegged 6 point underdog for Thursday's NFC North battle with Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Can Bears really hand Pack it's first 0-2 start at Lambeau Field since the 2006 campaign ? Not as big a stretch as one might think. Pack defense looking soft in it's home loss to the 49ers surrendering 191 passing, 186 rushing yards could be had again. Cutler has the tools to shred Packs' sieve-like secondary and the Matt Forte, Michael Bush combo could easily chew up Packs' run stop unit as did Gore last week. Outright victory, probably not but points are tempting knowing Bears are on a 7-3 ATS stretch as underdogs, 6-1 ATS off a double digit ATS win and that Pack are on a 2-4-1 ATS slide off a home loss as a favorite.
Bears at Packers
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com
One of the NFL’s most heated rivalries will be renewed Thursday night at Lambeau Field, where Green Bay (0-1 straight up, 0-1 against the spread) will try to get its first win against the Bears.
After winning the Super Bowl in 2010 and going 15-1 in the regular season last year, the Packers have now lost back-to-back games at home. The Giants sent Green Bay out of the playoffs in the NFC semifinals and then in last week’s opener, San Francisco won a 30-22 decision over the Pack as a six-point underdog.
The 52 combined points slipped ‘over’ the 46 ½-point total thanks to 22 points in the final stanza.
Aaron Rodgers completed 30-of-44 passes for 304 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Randall Cobb had a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown and also hauled in a team-high nine receptions for 77 yards. Greg Jennings had five catches for 34 yards, but he suffered a strained groin that has him ‘doubtful’ against Chicago.
Veteran WR Donald Driver didn’t have any catches and barely touched the field due to the emergence of Cobb. However, if Jennings can’t go, look for Driver to be on the field more often.
We must point out that Green Bay had no semblance of a ground attack against the 49ers. Cedric Benson had nine rushes for only 18 yards, while Rodgers ran five times for 27 yards. That’s 14 rushes and 44 pass attempts and that’s not nearly the offensive balance that Mike McCarthy is striving to have.
Chicago (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) drilled Indianapolis by a 41-21 count as a 9½-point home ‘chalk’ in its opener at Soldier Field. Jay Cutler connected on 21-of-35 throws for 333 yards and a pair of TDs, overcoming a pick-six in the first quarter that gave the Colts a 7-0 advantage.
Just as we suggested over the summer, Cutler has the most talent around him than at any other point in his career. Brandon Marshall had nine receptions for 119 yards and one TD, while Alshon Jeffery had three catches for 80 yards, including a 42-yard TD grab.
Matt Forte rushed 16 times for 80 yards and a TD, while Michael Bush ran for a pair of scores.
Chicago CB Tim Jennings intercepted Colts’ rookie QB Andrew Luck twice and safety Chris Conte also had a pick. Henry Melton collected a pair of sacks.
When these teams met at Lambeau on Christmas Day last year, Green Bay captured a 35-21 win as a 13-point home favorite. Rodgers threw five TD passes, while Cutler was injured and in street clothes.
The Packers were also victorious on Sept. 25 in the Windy City when they beat the Bears, 27-17, as four-point road favorites. Rodgers threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Cutler had 302 passing yards with two TDs and a pair of interceptions.
We noted the injury to Jennings and the Packers may also be without RB James Starks, who is ‘questionable’ with a foot injury. The Bears appear injury free after LB Brian Urlacher was able to go last week and CB Charles Tillman is ‘probable.’
As of Wednesday afternoon, most books were listing Green Bay as a six-point favorite with a total of 51. Gamblers can take the Bears to win outright for a plus-225 return (risk $100 to win $225).
During Lovie Smith’s nine-year tenure with the Bears, they have compiled an 18-22-4 spread record as road underdogs. Chicago has lost four in a row at Green Bay with its last win coming in a 27-20 win as a three-point road ‘dog in 2007.
As for the Packers, they own a 23-14-1 spread record as a home favorite on McCarthy’s watch.
Kick-off is scheduled for Thursday night at 8:20 p.m. Eastern on the NFL Network.
B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets
Jacksonville’s Blaine Gabbert and Minnesota's Christian Ponder struggled on bad teams as rookies in 2011, but both got off to solid starts in Week 1. The Vikings captured a 26-23 overtime win behind Ponder’s 270 passing yards. The FSU product completed 20-of-27 throws without an interceptions, although he did lose a fumble. Gabbert was turnover-free with a pair of touchdown passes, including a 39-yard scoring strike to Cecil Shorts for the go-ahead score with 20 ticks left. However, the Vikings got a 55-yard field goal on the last play of regulation and then won with a Blair Walsh FG in the extra session.
Speaking of Walsh, he had a nightmare senior season at Georgia that was capped by multiple missed FGs in a triple-overtime loss to Michigan St. at the Outback Bowl. Consider those woes a thing of the past, however, as Walsh accurately buried all four of his FG attempts in his NFL debut.
Matt Ryan sliced up a Kansas City defense that was decimated by injuries in a 40-24 Week 1 victory. Ryan connected on 23-of-31 throws for 299 yards and three TDs without an interception. Julio Jones had six catches for 108 yards and two scores.
Did you see Tennessee RB Chris Johnson’s stats in the Titans’ blowout loss to New England? Johnson had 11 carries for four yards. That’s four, not forty-four.
The ‘over’ went 9-7 in Week 1.
Underdogs went 9-7 ATS in Week 1 with six outright wins, including nice money-line payouts for the Redskins (+260ish) and 49ers (+225ish).
Bears at Packers: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com
Chicago at Green Bay (-5.5, 51.5)
The Green Bay Packers don't have much time to recover from their season-opening loss as they host the NFC North-rival Chicago Bears on Thursday night. Green Bay, which went a franchise-best 15-1 last season before being upset by the New York Giants in its first playoff game, already has matched its loss total as it dropped a 30-22 decision at home to San Francisco on Sunday. The Packers' rebuilt defense looked eerily similar to last season's disappointing unit, while their "improved" ground attack saw quarterback Aaron Rodgers emerge as the team's leading rusher with 27 yards.
The loss was the first in a season opener since 2006 and ended the 13-game regular-season home winning streak of the Packers, who take on a Chicago team that rolled to a 41-21 home victory over Indianapolis in Andrew Luck's NFL debut. Chicago finished 8-8 last year, losing both meetings with Green Bay by a combined score of 62-38. The Bears have lost four consecutive matchups with the Packers and six of seven but lead the all-time series 92-86-6. Chicago has not won at Lambeau Field since Oct. 7, 2007, when it posted a 27-20 triumph.
LINE: Packers -5.5, O/U 51.5.
WEATHER: Forecasts are calling for temperatures in the high-50s with a 50 percent of showers at Lambeau Field. Winds will be light out of the north.
ABOUT THE BEARS (1-0): The reunion of QB Jay Cutler and WR Brandon Marshall paid immediate dividends as the former Denver Broncos worked extremely well together in their first game as Chicago teammates. Marshall registered 119 yards on nine receptions, including a 3-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter that put the Bears ahead for good. RB Matt Forte could wind up being a disgruntled player if the events that took place in the season opener continue. Forte gained 80 yards on 16 carries and scored on a 6-yard run but was replaced in several goal-line situations by newcomer Michael Bush, who had a pair of 1-yard TDs. Chicago made some roster moves the day after their victory, signing former Steelers OT Jonathan Scott and activating DT Nate Collins from the reserved/suspended list. The Bears also waived P Ryan Quigley.
ABOUT THE PACKERS (0-1): The Packers are hoping to avoid their first 0-2 start since 2006, Mike McCarthy's first season as head coach. Green Bay needs a better performance from RB Cedric Benson, who gained just 18 yards on nine carries in his debut with the Packers. Benson had three disappointing seasons with Chicago after being drafted fourth overall in 2005 but revived his career in Cincinnati, where he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark three times in four years. DE C.J. Wilson suffered a groin injury early in Sunday's loss. Wilson's attempt to return later in the first quarter was unsuccessful. WR Randall Cobb made it two straight season openers with a return TD, although Sunday's 75-yard punt-return score was a gift as the replacement officials initially penalized Terrell Manning for blocking from behind before picking up the flag. Cobb returned a kickoff an NFL record-tying 108 yards for a TD against New Orleans in the 2011 opener.
TRENDS:
*Under is 8-1 in the last nine meetings.
*Packers are 9-0 ATS in their last nine games following an ATS loss.
*Over is 6-0 in Bears’ last six games following an ATS win.
*Over is 5-0 in Packers’ last five games following a straight-up loss.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. Chicago's point total in the season opener was its highest since scoring 48 in a victory on Oct. 4, 2009, over Detroit.
2. Packers LB Clay Matthews, whose sack total dropped from 13.5 in 2010 to a mere six last year, recorded 2.5 in Sunday's loss.
3. The Bears could be without Pro Bowl CB Charles Tillman, who left Sunday's game in the first quarter with a lower leg injury.