The Chicago Bears are consensus 3.5-point home underdogs against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8 as of Oct. 25. This could be a nice betting spot for the Bears, but it’s hard to overlook just how dreadful the team played in a 38-3 loss to the Buccaneers.
Head coach Matt Nagy’s seat is hotter than ever, and to make matters worse, he has tested positive for COVID-19. Nagy is vaccinated, and his status for Sunday’s game is unclear. The 49ers, while not dealing with the chaos the Bears are, have lost four games in a row.
The game will take place at noon CST on Sunday and air on Fox. Sunday is Halloween, but the only people the Bears have been scaring lately are members of their own fanbase.
Do they have a rebound performance in them on Sunday? Here are the best San Francisco versus Chicago Bears odds at Illinois online sportsbooks.
49ers @ Bears Week 8 odds
Check out the lines at sportsbooks in Illinois:
The Bears looked awful on Sunday. But this year, they have had a knack for bouncing back well from their worst performances.
In Week 1, the Rams embarrassed the Bears on Sunday Night Football. In Week 2, Chicago beat the Bengals in a victory that has aged well. The Bengals are now tied for first place in the AFC.
In Week 3, the Browns demolished the Bears 26-6 in one of the worst offensive performances you’ll see. In Week 4, Chicago returned home and — you guessed it — handily beat the Lions 24-14. They covered the spread in both matchups.
This pattern also goes back to last year. The Bears lost six in a row at one point, and it looked like there was no way Nagy or general manager Ryan Pace would return in 2021. Then, Chicago won its next three games to sneak into the Playoffs. Just when it seems like the bottom is falling out, they play well enough to save Nagy and Pace’s jobs.
Say what you want about the Bears, but they have been resilient under this regime as of late. And the 49ers are on a serious skid of their own.
49ers have lost four in a row
The 49ers are on a four-game losing streak after falling to the Colts 30-18 on Sunday Night Football.
San Francisco struggles to stop the run, as it ranks 20th in the NFL in opposing rushing yards per game. And if there was one bright spot for the Bears against the Buccaneers, it was rookie running back Khalil Herbert.
Herbert ran for 100 yards on 18 carries, an especially impressive feat considering the game script. Usually, being on the wrong end of a blowout dooms a running back’s stat line.
But Herbert looks like a real player, and while the Bears may be awful in pass protection, they’ve shown the ability to run block.
With that said, Justin Fields is going to have to play much better against the 49ers than he did against the Buccaneers. He turned the ball over five times and got little help (as usual) from his pass-catchers or offensive line.
San Francisco only ranks 21st in sacks, but it’s seventh in opposing yards per pass. Statistically, it looked like the Bucs’ secondary was exploitable, but they completely manhandled the Bears’ offense.
As for the other side of the ball, the Bears are only allowing 18 points per game at home. That would be a top-six mark in the NFL if they had equal success on the road.
The 49ers have an above-average rushing attack and below-average passing game. Looking at their statistical profile, if anything stands out, it’s their lack of identity on either side of the ball. They aren’t great at anything but also aren’t atrocious in any particular area.
We should note that the 49ers’ two wins this season have come on the road — though they were at the Lions and Eagles in the first two weeks.
The Bears are not clearly better than the 49ers. With that said, if the people in charge are going to keep their jobs, one could argue that this is a must-win game.
