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What They Want
by Dennis Ranahan

If the Chicago Bears were to come into Lambeau Field tonight and pin the Green Bay Packers with their second straight loss, then the distinction of being the best in the NFC North Division might not include the Packers in the discussion, but rather focus on the Bears and Minnesota Vikings.

Does that sound plausible?

Isn’t it more likely that the Packers rebound from an uncharacteristic lopsided loss with a big effort in their home opener? Isn’t there just enough doubt and concern in the Packers camp to be focused on tonight’s game when their first effort without Davante Adams was offensively anemic in their 23-7 opening loss in Minnesota?

Is the situation alone enough to spur the Packers? Do the Bears really pose a threat that on its own gets the attention of the Green Bay players? Because that is what it comes down to, what team has just enough fear that they have to play their best to win and it still may not be enough.

I thrive on those situations, and we certainly don’t have that tonight. The Packers may be coming into this game one back of the Bears in the NFC North Division race, but they don’t fear Justin Fields and company. If they did, Green Bay would be in a lot better position to reverse their opening week result.

What if the Bears are a lot better? They have been drafting high year-in-and-year-out while their team has mostly struggled on the field during the past two decades. The Packers have been able to put away the Bears without too much trouble during Aaron Rodgers’ years in Green Bay. The Packers are 24-5 straight-up and 22-7 against Chicago and the spread since 2008.

Without a genuine fear of the Bears, the question becomes, is the situation alone enough to carry the night when the Bears and Packers play under the lights at Lambeau Field? Here is what one has going for them if they side with the Packers tonight; clearly the team that has dominated this rivalry with Rodgers behind center, and a need to win to not allow the Bears a two game bulge in their division standings.

I think that is enough.

If the wager is whether the Bears are now better than the Packers because they beat the 49ers last week while the Packers were handled by the Vikings, I’m voting no. I think the Packers are better, a lot better, and while the Bears are improved, thinking they could come off a win and beat the Packers off a loss at Lambeau is highly suspect.

So, the Packers win, but how about that double-digit point spread?

The line is as high as it is to sway gamblers to the wrong side of this proposition, and it worked. The huge number has nearly 57% of the individual wagers on this game backing the road underdog Bears. I’m pretty sure this is one of those lines the books set just a little too high to draw people to the wrong side, and the first rule in beating a book is to not give them what they want.

Qoxhi Picks: Green Bay Packers (-10) over Chicago Bears