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Denver Broncos vs. Chicago Bears

by Kris Lazaro

11/23/07

The Chicago Bears host the Denver Broncos this Sunday afternoon as a mere 1 point favorite (the line was originally Chicago –3) in Chicagoland. The Bears have not been the same since going to the Superbowl last year. In what is known as the Superbowl hangover, teams who lose this game usually do very poorly in the following year. The Bears are keeping up with this trend.

Denver 41
Chicago -1.5

The Bears, behind the questionable quarterback Rex Grossman, hope to get something going as it is currently 4-6 straight up and 3-7 against the spread. Their defense has also been not the same, giving up 21.7 points per game thus far in the season. Being at home has not been such an advantage for the Bears, who are an embarassing 1-3 straight up at Soldier Field.

The Denver Broncos are also a shell of themselves. They are currently 5-5 on the season and 2-2 on the road. Similar to the Bears, they are 3-7 against the spread and is currently going nowhere fast. Although the Broncos have reeled two wins in a row, they have not won 3 games in a row thus far in the season. Led by quarterback Jay Cutler and wide receiver Brandon Stokely, the Broncos hope to gain some momentum in the weak NFC west division.

In betting terms, the Broncos have been bet down to almost a mere 1 point underdog, with about equal betting on both sides. According to wagerline.com, the Denver Broncos are being considered at a 55% clip.

The author’s opinion regarding this game is ambivalent, although if Chicago becomes an underdog before kickoff, the author suggests backing the struggling Bears in what should be a low scoring affair. The over / under for this game has been set at 39, but has been bet up to 41 at the time of writing. The author has no opinion on the total.

Game prediction: 21-20 Chicago.