In the big picture, the Chicago Bears appear to have a low total for their OVER/UNDER for wins this season. For the game at hand in Week 1, the Bears will open their regular season as they host the San Francisco 49ers. This game looks like one where bettors should be making a conservative play in backing Chicago.
The Picks: San Francisco beats Chicago 24-21
Popular markets with bet365:
- San Francisco moneyline at -300 (1/3)
- Chicago's spread of +6.5
- OVER 40.5 points in the game
Is Chicago's head coach Matt Eberflus any good? That's one question heading into this game and regular season.
Matt Eberflus Should Earn Some Backers
Eberflus went 3-0 in the preseason and the buzz around the Bears is decent in some circles but certainly inconsisent overall. The bottom line is that anyone looking at last season's failures has to account for the fact that the Bears executed a head-coaching change in the offseason, a change that might lead to improvements. QB1 Justin Fields also has a year of experience to draw upon now and that can make a world of difference when it comes to such a young player.
The 49ers have a young QB too and they are expecting to start quarterback Trey Lance on Sunday, the 22-year-old QB making just his third career start. Lance has some outstanding tools to work with on offense, including Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. But as of late Saturday night, the buzz round the injured Kittle is that he will not play.
Plenty of Reason to Be Skeptical of San Francisco's Trey Lance
Lance's rookie season, limited as the playing time was, has to be viewed as a flop. Last season Lance completed just 57.7% of his passes, he went 5-2 as a ratio for TDs to interceptions, and he never looked like someone who was ready to take over the starting duties of a contender.
In a tough game to call, the move to make appears to be take the handicap on the Bears. Not only does backing Chicago oppose an unproven QB in Trey Lance, one that might not be worthy of starting status, but it affords some confidence to Eberflus, a head coach that put together a decent preseason.
Take the Bears on an Alternative Point Spread 2-Way market with a full +13.5 helpers at odds of -275 (4/11). If you don't fancy the short odds, then work them into a two-game parlay with other recommendations or stick with the standard handicap of +6.5.
Recommendation:
- Chicago's adjusted handicap of +13.5 with bet365 at 4 to 11
- For popular markets, go with the standard handicap of +6.5 on the Bears
