The Chicago Bears play their penultimate game of the 2021 season on Sunday against the New York Giants. And for the first time since Thanksgiving against the Lions, the Monsters of the Midway are favored.
By quite a bit, for a change. This is the second-to-last time you’ll be able to bet on the Bears this season, as they have already been eliminated from playoff contention.
The quarterback situation on both sides is murky at best, so it might be hard to handicap this game well in advance. Welcome to the dog days of the NFL season featuring two bad teams, folks.
Here are the best Bears odds at Illinois online sportsbooks.
Giants @ Bears odds
Check out live Bears vs. Giants odds that automatically update until kickoff:
The Bears opened as 4-point favorites, but the market quickly moved in their favor.
We have to start with the quarterback situation on both sides, where — seriously — the Bears have a significant edge.
Giants head coach Joe Judge said he expects Jake Fromm and former Bear Mike Glennon to see the field on Sunday.
Judge said via the Giants official website:
“We’ll prepare both guys, similar to last week. We’ll prepare both guys, both guys will have their share of the load this week in practice as far as sharing some reps. I would expect to see both guys play.”
Bears edge rusher Robert Quinn has to be licking his chops. Quinn has 17 sacks this season, a half-sack shy of Richard Dent for the franchise record.
The Giants have been atrocious on offense ever since Daniel Jones’ injury. Glennon has a QBR of 19.0, while Fromm has a mark of 6.2.
For reference, Lamar Jackson ranks 16th of 32 NFL starters in QBR with a 50.1 figure.
New York has scored 10 points or fewer in five of its last six games. In the modern NFL, that’s hard to do.
We know the Giants are bad, but to be near-touchdown underdogs against the uninspiring Bears may present betting value. But before we determine that, who is starting at QB for Chicago?
The latest Bears quarterback news
While the starting QB for a given team is usually quite significant in terms of NFL betting odds, the Bears are a rare exception.
Whether it’s Justin Fields, Nick Foles or Andy Dalton under center, the line rarely moves significantly when one starter is announced vs. another. The Bears may have one of the worst QB1 situations in the league this early in Fields’ tenure, but Foles is easily the best third-stringer in the league.
Foles went 25-for-34 with 250 yards and a touchdown against the Seahawks in a 25-24 win.
Fields appears to be the least likely of the three to start, as he was limited in Wednesday’s practice and the Bears will likely want to protect their prized asset.
Dalton is fully practicing once again, but Foles and the offense performed fairly well against Seattle. Given Chicago’s offensive struggles this season, it would make sense to ride with that.
But at this stage in their careers, the difference between Foles and Dalton is minimal. Don’t expect to see the line move a ton once the starter is announced.
BetRivers offering Bears boosts
BetRivers Sportsbook, the official sports betting partner of the Bears, offers a 25% moneyline boost for every game.
And if you log in from Soldier Field, you will receive a 50% profit boost.
If you like the Bears to win by three or four points, this could be an enticing option. Because as bad as the Giants may be, it’s hard to have a ton of faith in the home team to cover a large number.
The Bears and Giants will kick off on CBS at noon CST on Sunday.
