Forte to be contained?
With Alshon Jeffery dealing with an injury, will the Chicago Bears turn to Matt Forte for a big game today against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
According to oddsmakers at RealBets, Tampa Bay is favored at home in this game, as the Bucs are getting odds of -3 points against the Bears. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 45.5 points. These two meet today at 1PM ET on FOX.
The Bears (5-9, 7-7 ATS) don’t have anything to play for, in reality, but that doesn’t mean a veteran like Forte won’t give his all. Jeffery is battling a hamstring injury, which means he could have an increased role. The 8-year RB for the Bears has run for 768 yards and four touchdowns in 2015 while catching 38 passes for 332 yards and two scores. If the season ended today, he would be at a career low for rushing yards and snap his streak of three-straight seasons with at least 1,000 yards. In today’s game with the Bucs (6-8, 7-7 ATS), Forte has been given an over/under of 55.5 rushing yards and 29.5 receiving yards. Forte has had at least 56 rushing yards in seven games this season and at least 30 receiving yards in five games.
Tampa has been decent against the run this year, allowing just 1,184 yards on the ground with six touchdowns while also giving up 70 passes for 483 yards and four scores. Along with what Tampa can do, it will be interesting to see how many carries Forte will get. He has been dealing with some minor injuries, which has opened the door for Jeremy Langford to earn some carries. The two have been pretty even in carry totals over the last two games, both hovering right around 10 each. Forte has had a bigger role than Langford in the pass game, catching 6 passes for 57 yards and a score last week.
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