The point spread for Sunday night’s Chicago Bears–Green Bay Packers game is one of the largest that the NFL North rivalry has seen in decades.
The Packers were 12.5-point favorites over the Bears on Wednesday. You have to go back to 1998, when Green Bay was a 13-point favorite over Chicago, to find a larger line in the series.
With quarterback Aaron Rodgers starting, Green Bay is 21-5 straight up against the Bears in the regular season. Only Brett Favre (23-13) has more wins over Chicago in the Super Bowl era. In addition, the Packers have covered the spread in 19 of Rodgers’ 26 starts against the Bears.
Green Bay beat the Bears 24-14 as 5.5-point favorites in Week 6, with Rodgers reminding fans at Soldier Field that he “owns” them. Bettors, even those in Illinois, know it too.
Chicago has won only once since that defeat, a dismal stretch that included rookie quarterback Justin Fields suffering broken ribs. Fields missed the past two games but was cleared medically on Wednesday and is expected to start Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The Packers, meanwhile, are in a battle with the Cardinals and Buccaneers for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
NFL market watch
Here is our weekly look at how the NFL betting market is shaping up leading into the weekend.
For consistency, lines, totals and betting percentages are from Caesars Sportsbook unless otherwise noted. The betting percentages are not specific to the current line or total and are designed to provide a snapshot of the early action. The look-ahead lines were offered in advance of the previous week’s games. Most numbers were reopened Sunday night.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings (Thursday)
Last week’s look-ahead line: Vikings -3.5, 45.5
Sunday: Vikings -3.5, 45
Wednesday: Vikings -3 (-120), 43.5
Spread action: 59% of the bets and 77% of the money wagered is on the Steelers.
Total action: 54% of the bets is on the over, but 78% of the money wagered is on the under.
Seattle Seahawks at Houston Texans
Last week’s look-ahead line: Seahawks -6.5, 44.5
Sunday: Seahawks -7.5, 43.5
Wednesday: Seahawks -8, 41.5
Spread action: 70% of the bets is on the Seahawks, but 52% of the money wagered is on the Texans.
Total action: 80% of the bets and 94% of the money wagered is on the under.
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns
Last week’s look-ahead line: Ravens -1, 45
Sunday: Pick ’em, 43.5
Wednesday: Browns -2, 42
Spread action: 54% of the bets and 90% of the money wagered is on the Browns.
Total action: 76% of the money and 92% of the money wagered is on the under.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans
Last week’s look-ahead line: Titans -9.5, 46.5
Sunday: Titans -11, 43.5
Wednesday: Titans -9, 44
Spread action: 54% of the bets and 95% of the money wagered is on the Jaguars.
Total action: 82% of the bets and 97% of the money wagered is on the under.
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers
Last week’s look-ahead line: Panthers -2.5
Sunday: Panthers -3, 43.5
Wednesday: Panthers -2.5, 43
Spread action: 70% of the bets and 71% of the money wagered is on the Falcons.
Total action: 84% of the bets and 99% of the money wagered is on the under.
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Football Team
Last week’s look-ahead line: Cowboys -4.5, 49
Sunday: Cowboys -4.5, 49
Wednesday: Cowboys -4, 48
Spread action: 52% of the bets is on the Cowboys, but 65% of the money wagered is on Washington.
Total action: 81% of the bets and 92% of the money wagered is on the under.
Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
Last week’s look-ahead line: Chiefs -10, 52.5
Sunday: N/A
Wednesday: Chiefs -9.5, 48.5
Spread action: 67% of the bets and 63% of the money wagered is on the Raiders.
Total action: 71% of the bets and 94% of the money wagered is on the under.
Notes: Strong winds (17 mph) are expected in Kansas City on Sunday.
New Orleans Saints at New York Jets
Last week’s look-ahead line: Saints -6.5, 43.5
Sunday: Saints -6, 44
Wednesday: Saints -4.5, 43
Spread action: 60% of the bets and 65% of the money wagered is on the Saints.
Total action: 73% of the bets and 78% of the money wagered is on the under.
Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos
Last week’s look-ahead line: Broncos -8.5, 43.5
Sunday: N/A
Wednesday: Broncos -8, 42
Spread action: 63% of the bets and 82% of the money wagered is on the Lions.
Total action: 74% of the bets and 93% of the money wagered is on the under.
New York Giants at Los Angeles Chargers
Last week’s look-ahead line: Chargers -7.5, 46.5
Sunday: Chargers -10.5, 45.5
Wednesday: Chargers -10.5, 44.5
Spread action: 74% of the bets is on the Chargers, but 56% of the money wagered is on the Giants.
Total action: 70% of the bets and 61% of the money wagered is on the under.
San Francisco 49ers at Cincinnati Bengals
Last week’s look-ahead line: Bengals -2.5, 47
Sunday: Bengals -1.5, 47.5
Wednesday: Bengals -1, 48.5
Spread action: 50% of the bets and 61% of the money is on the Bengals.
Total action: 55% of the bets and 69% of the bets is on the over.
Buffalo Bills at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last week’s look-ahead line: Bucs -3.5, 53
Sunday: Bucs -3.5, 53.5
Wednesday: Bucs -3.5, 53
Spread action: 79% of the bets and 94% of the money wagered is on the Bucs.
Total action: 53% of the bets is on the over, but 71% of the money wagered is on the under.
Notes: Caesars Sportsbook reported taking a $240,000 bet on Tampa Bay when the line was at -3 (-120) earlier in the week. As of Wednesday, it was the largest bet Caesars had taken on this week’s NFL slate.
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
Last week’s look-ahead line: Packers -11, 45.5
Sunday: Packers -13, 45
Wednesday: Packers -12.5, 43.5
Spread action: 72% of the bets and 68% of the money wagered is on the Packers.
Total action: 78% of the bets and 91% of the money wagered is on the under.
Notes: The Packers own the best record against the spread at 10-2. They have covered the spread in all five of their home games. … Green Bay is the first double-digit favorite in the Sunday prime-time game this season.
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals (Monday)
Last week’s look-ahead line: Cardinals -2.5, 52
Sunday: Cardinals -3, 52
Wednesday: Cardinals -2.5, 52
Spread action: 82% of the bets and 91% of the money wagered is on the Cardinals.
Total action: 52% of the bets and 68% of the money wagered is on the under.
Source: www.espn.com