The Chicago Bears are 5-1 and are in first place of the NFC North. The Bears are 5-1 for the first time since 2012 when they finished third in their division at 10-6, which cost coach Lovie Smith his job. The city of Chicago loves their Bears and there is hope in Chi-Town for the 2020 Bears. Let’s dive into our Bears vs Rams betting preview.
The Bears are preparing to head to Los Angeles for their Monday Night Football date with the 4-2 Los Angeles Rams. Both teams are fighting to keep up in the crowded NFC playoff race and a win would leave both in a strong position.
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Here is a look at the latest Super Bowl Odds
‘Success isn’t Permanent, and Failure isn’t Fatal’ – Ditka
Fall is the best time of the year in the Midwest. The weather is at its best and football season commences. Chicago has some of the most die-hard football fans I have come across. Each year thousands of Bears fans gear up in their blue and orange jerseys, hats and other gear as their excitement for the NFL season creeps in. People start talking like Hall of Fame player and coach Mike Ditka, saying things like “Da Bears” and “If God wanted us to play soccer he wouldn’t have given us arms.”
Ditka is a great example of someone who embodies what it means to be a Chicago Bears fan. Tough, outspoken, winning-over-everything type of attitude is what Bears fans exemplify. The issue that Bears’ fans have dealt with for the past two decades has been one of inconsistency. As soon as the fans think their team is bad they upset someone, and as soon as they think their team is actually good they lose in heartbreaking fashion.
Happy Birthday Mike Ditka
Ditka runs through the #Steelers pic.twitter.com/EbSEuzkm88— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) October 18, 2020
Hawks, Bulls, Sox, Cubs, and Bears
Chicago has a rich history between the four major American sports. It’s host to two MLB teams, the White Sox and the Cubs. Chicago also has an NHL team in the Blackhawks, and you can’t forget about the beloved NBA team, the Bulls.
When I was living in Chicago from 2007-2014, the Blackhawks were all the city could talk about. The Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups between 2009-2015. Fans came out of the woodworks after the Hawks won their first Stanley Cup and excitement continued to build as they continued to win. It was a fun time to be in Chicago.
Since the ’90s and Micheal Jordan’s two three-peats, the Bulls have been a fan favorite. In the last decade, Derrick Rose injected a lot of hope into fans before his career was derailed by injuries. The Bulls never could get past LeBron in the playoffs, but at least Chicago had their Blackhawks during this time.
Greatest 23’s in Chicago sports pic.twitter.com/WLnJrk62Y0
— mary 🐻⬇️🎃 (5-1) (@overtimemary) October 19, 2020
When the White Sox are good you will find fans in the stands and some buzz around their team. When they are not, which has been the story since their 2005 World Series win, the fans disappear. On the other hand, everyone loves the Cubs no matter how bad they are. Cubs were known as the “loveable losers” for as long as anyone can remember. The Cubs broke a 100+ year drought by winning the World Series in 2016. But, before there weren’t many “real” Cubs fans, just fans of Wrigleyville. Wrigleyville is known for its massive bars and fun summertime baseball vibes.
The Bears and Chicago
The Bears embody the city of Chicago better than any of the other sports teams. Bears’ fans support their team in the blistering cold. They believe they can win with defense and special teams touchdowns. Bears fans found a way to root for Jay Cutler before they ran out of patience with that one, but dammit, they gave him a shot.
Chicago is a sports town through-and-through, and the city suffers when none of the teams are good. I have seen my friends, who were disappointed with the Bears shrug it off and say, “at least we have the Hawks.” In the Midwest, football reigns supreme and when the Bears are good the city comes alive and Sundays become a day of celebration. It seems like the whole city is just waiting for Sunday so everyone can go out, or host get-togethers, to watch the Bears while drinking and eating.
Chi-City thrives when the Bears thrive. People are happy and nice to each other when the Bears win. When they lose, Bears fans are quick to make fun of their team and become sour. The fans of the Bears are the first to shine a light on the mistakes the Bears make. There is no sugar coating of the Bears failures or successes. I hope for the city I love, that the Bears do not fall apart this season and can keep on winning.
Recent Bears – Under Coach Matt Nagy
Coach Matt Nagy took over in 2018 and led the Bears to a 12-4 record, which earned them a division title in his first season as the head coach. That year they lost in the Wild Card round of the playoffs 16-15 to Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles on Cody Parkey’s double-doink that will live in infamy. Below is a video of the double-doink that ended the Bears 2018 season. This play is a great example of what fans have recently endured with their beloved Bears.
Last year, their offense took a huge step back and they finished 8-8. When I say the offense took a step back I mean they practically stopped scoring points. During the 2018 season the Bears scored a total of 421 points and gave up 283 points. In 2019, the Bears scored a total of 280 points and gave up 298 points. They scored 141 less points in 2019 than in 2018, which is nearly 10 points a game less with the same QB Mitch Trubisky and offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich. Helfrich was replaced by Bill Lazored after the 2019 campaign and Trubisky would eventually lose his starting job in 2020.
2020 Bears
This season the Bears are struggling on offense but not quite like last year. Through six games the Bears have scored 128 points, which puts them on pace for 342 points through 16 games. The Bears currently have allowed 116 points. This gives them a 12-point differential. Though Chicago has one of the best records in the NFL, the Bears rank 13th in point differential and are well behind every team in the NFC West.
The 2020 Bears have been the epitome of the saying, “we would rather win ugly than lose pretty.” Last week’s 23-16 victory over the Carolina Panthers was the largest margin of victory for the Bears in their five wins. Against Carolina, the Bears had another game with three takeaways, making it six since 2018 (most in NFL). Through six games this season the Bears have eight takeaways on defense, while their offense has given up seven turnovers.
BearsFansVibeCheck.gif pic.twitter.com/RSHvmf1vQg
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 19, 2020
Chicago’s defense has yet to give up more than 26 points. The only loss came at home to the Colts, 19-11. The Bears didn’t score a touchdown until 1:35 left in the 4th quarter. These are the types of games Chicago fans have come to expect out of their dismal offense.
Nick Foles
Coach Nagy decided to bench his starting QB Mitch Trubisky after he threw a pick in the third quarter of the Bears’ Week 3 contest with the Atlanta Falcons. Trubisky is a former second overall pick in 2017, who started 44 straight games from 2017-2020. Trubisky could not prove he could be a consistent QB for the Bears in those three years. Once the Bears fell behind to the Falcons, Nagy decided to go with the former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles.
The Bears traded a 2020 fourth-round draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars to acquire Foles this offseason. Nagy and the Bears needed an experienced insurance policy if Trubisky could not figure things out this season and that came in the form of Foles. I think Chicago has a fighting chance to make the playoffs and make a run with Foles as their QB. I definitely would feel different about the 5-1 Bears if they still were playing Trubisky.
Chicago’s Best Win
The Bears’ Week 4 20-19 home victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was this team’s best. After falling behind 13-0 in the second quarter, the Bears scored two TDs before half to go into the break up 14-13. The Bears’ defense held Tom Brady and the Bucs’ high-powered offense to two field goals in the final two quarters. With 1:13 left to play, Bears’ kicker Cario Santos hit the go-ahead FG from 38 yards.
The win over the Bucs was only one win this season, but it seems to hold more weight when you look at what the Bucs just did to the Bears’ division rival Packers. The Bucs destroyed Green Bay 38-10 one week after losing to the Bears. This does not mean the Bears are better than the Packers but it should instill some confidence in the organization that they can beat anyone.
The (5-1) Bears are getting no respect from anyone even with one of the best records in the NFL. They are not in any top-10 power rankings and most people are expecting this team to fall straight on their face. I say, “not so fast!” Winning in the NFL is no easy task (unless a team is playing the Jets). It takes a special team to win five out of their first six games. No matter how ugly the Bears look they are 5-1 and I think they deserve some respect.
https://twitter.com/BearDown_Blog/status/1318586741067010049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Rams (4-2) vs Bears (5-1) – Betting Preview
- Team | Point Spread | Money Line | Over/Under
- Bears | +5½ -110 | +210 | 46 -110o
- Rams | -5½ -110 | -250 | 46 -110u
Matchup Edge
Rams vs Bears – Point Spread
Chicago has kept every game close. Even if the Bears cannot walk out of L.A. with a victory on Monday Night Football, they can play this Rams team close. Foles is full of enough magic and this defense needs its respect. Take the Bears +5½
Rams vs Bears- Money Line
I think the Rams at home are going to be too much for the Bears in Week 7. Jarred Goff and Co. turn things around and take care of business. Aaron Donald is probably drooling to go against the Bears ´pathetic’ offensive line. I am not a huge fan of the -250 odds on the Rams to win, but take it anyways.
Rams vs Bears – Over/Under
The total has gone under in six of the Rams’ last eight games at home. The Bears have only scored more than 23 points twice. The over/under is low and it is on Monday Night Football, but I expect field goals and not touchdowns. Take the under
Rams vs Bears – Props
| ROT | TOTAL TDS IN THE GAME | MONEYLINE |
| 1015 | Over 5½ TDs | +125 |
| 1016 | Under 5½ TDs | -155 |
- The Chicago Bears are averaging 2.3 TDs a game
- The Bears are giving up 1.5 TDs a game
- The LA Rams are averaging 3.17 TDs a game
- The Rams are giving up 2.17 TDs a game
The under of 5½ TDs in this game with -155 odds seems like a nice bet.
| ROT | TOTAL FGS SCORED IN THE GAME | MONEYLINE |
| 1017 | Over 3½ FGs | +130 |
| 1018 | Under 3½ FGs | -160 |
My favorite bet of this game is the total FGs scored in a game. The Bears have the best red-zone defense in the league. Take the Over of 3½ FGs.
Check out some of BetUS Sportsbook’s Super Bowl prop bets ahead of the Big Game and place your bets!
