Thursday Night Football: Saints at Chicago Bears
Thursday Night Football: Saints at Chicago Bears
The winner on the field in tonight's Saints, Bears matchup is yet to be determined, but with two of the NFL's most public teams facing off there is little doubt that in the end it will be the books that come out winners. Chicago will be laying a field goal at home in what should be a not-so-Windy City on Thursday though there's a good chance of the frozen stuff falling and temps in the 20s around kickoff.
Sportsbooks are living the dream heading into Thursday night’s matchup between the New Orleans Saints (7-6, 9-4 ATS) and Chicago Bears (7-6, 6-6-1 ATS) at Soldier Field.
Not only is the Thursday nighter one of the most bet-on games of the week, the Saints and Bears represent two of the NFL’s most public teams. This means lots of action on the betting odds at the window for the guys setting the lines, and this week is no exception.
What makes this a dream scenario for books is about 51% of wagers on the spread have come in on the Bears prior to kickoff. With nearly equal action on both sides, the real winner on Thursday night will be the bookies, barring a major amount of money in either direction.
Chicago remains a consensus 3-point favorite after the line opened at that number early in the week. Handicappers can find the Bears at -2½ at a few locations, although there’s a solid chance Chicago could be giving a field goal across the board by the time the sun goes down on the Windy City.
The most common number on the total is 44½, after the O/U was set at 46 when the numbers were posted. Public bettors are moving the total down because of the chilly forecast for Thursday night that calls for below-freezing temperatures and a vicious wind chill. The good news for cappers hoping to play this one straight up by the numbers is there’s not expected to be high winds or much in terms of precipitation during the game.
Saints backers are banking on the third time being a charm, as this is New Orleans’ third trip to Soldier Field in December or January in as many seasons. The Bears defeated the Saints in the NFC Championship Game there in 2006, and eliminated New Orleans from playoff contention with a 33-25 triumph last December 30 as 1-point home pups.
Chicago slipped out the back door to cash the last time the teams met, as New Orleans couldn’t cover despite racking up 413 yards offense. Running back Pierre Thomas ran roughshod over the Bears’ defense a year ago, finishing with 105 yards on 20 carries in addition to 121 yards receiving on 12 catches with a score for the Saints.
Expect the Saints to rely as much as possible on Thomas once again this time around, insofar as the Big Easy needs an alternative to Drew Brees gunning the ball downfield on every possession. The undrafted Thomas racked up 102 yards on the ground on 16 attempts with both a rushing and receiving TD in New Orleans’ 29-25 win over the Atlanta Hawks last Sunday.
Brees finished 18-of-32 for 230 yards with two touchdowns for the Saints, winners as 3-point faves, and 5-1 ATS over their last six games. Reggie Bush chimed in with 80 yards rushing on only 10 carries, while New Orleans managed a season-high 184 yards on the ground in the payday.
The Bears are coming off a 23-10 pasting of the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, a game in which the typically porous Chicago pass defense showed up. The Jaguars had only 159 yards passing against the Bears, who rolled to the bank as 6½-point home chalk at numerous books. Kyle Orton went 20-of-34 for 219 yards with two TD tosses and an interception in his most promising performance since spraining his ankle last month, while RB Matt Forte had a pedestrian 69 yards on the ground on 21 touches in the backfield.
Losing outright would decimate either team’s postseason hopes, although that’s especially true for the Saints, who will most certainly need a wild card berth to book their ticket to the playoffs. 11 different NFC teams are at .500 or better, with New Orleans and Chicago near the bottom of the pack. This adds a little spice to a game that has bettors emptying their wallets as it is.
The winner on the field in tonight's Saints, Bears matchup is yet to be determined, but with two of the NFL's most public teams facing off there is little doubt that in the end it will be the books that come out winners. Chicago will be laying a field goal at home in what should be a not-so-Windy City on Thursday though there's a good chance of the frozen stuff falling and temps in the 20s around kickoff.
Sportsbooks are living the dream heading into Thursday night’s matchup between the New Orleans Saints (7-6, 9-4 ATS) and Chicago Bears (7-6, 6-6-1 ATS) at Soldier Field.
Not only is the Thursday nighter one of the most bet-on games of the week, the Saints and Bears represent two of the NFL’s most public teams. This means lots of action on the betting odds at the window for the guys setting the lines, and this week is no exception.
What makes this a dream scenario for books is about 51% of wagers on the spread have come in on the Bears prior to kickoff. With nearly equal action on both sides, the real winner on Thursday night will be the bookies, barring a major amount of money in either direction.
Chicago remains a consensus 3-point favorite after the line opened at that number early in the week. Handicappers can find the Bears at -2½ at a few locations, although there’s a solid chance Chicago could be giving a field goal across the board by the time the sun goes down on the Windy City.
The most common number on the total is 44½, after the O/U was set at 46 when the numbers were posted. Public bettors are moving the total down because of the chilly forecast for Thursday night that calls for below-freezing temperatures and a vicious wind chill. The good news for cappers hoping to play this one straight up by the numbers is there’s not expected to be high winds or much in terms of precipitation during the game.
Saints backers are banking on the third time being a charm, as this is New Orleans’ third trip to Soldier Field in December or January in as many seasons. The Bears defeated the Saints in the NFC Championship Game there in 2006, and eliminated New Orleans from playoff contention with a 33-25 triumph last December 30 as 1-point home pups.
Chicago slipped out the back door to cash the last time the teams met, as New Orleans couldn’t cover despite racking up 413 yards offense. Running back Pierre Thomas ran roughshod over the Bears’ defense a year ago, finishing with 105 yards on 20 carries in addition to 121 yards receiving on 12 catches with a score for the Saints.
Expect the Saints to rely as much as possible on Thomas once again this time around, insofar as the Big Easy needs an alternative to Drew Brees gunning the ball downfield on every possession. The undrafted Thomas racked up 102 yards on the ground on 16 attempts with both a rushing and receiving TD in New Orleans’ 29-25 win over the Atlanta Hawks last Sunday.
Brees finished 18-of-32 for 230 yards with two touchdowns for the Saints, winners as 3-point faves, and 5-1 ATS over their last six games. Reggie Bush chimed in with 80 yards rushing on only 10 carries, while New Orleans managed a season-high 184 yards on the ground in the payday.
The Bears are coming off a 23-10 pasting of the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, a game in which the typically porous Chicago pass defense showed up. The Jaguars had only 159 yards passing against the Bears, who rolled to the bank as 6½-point home chalk at numerous books. Kyle Orton went 20-of-34 for 219 yards with two TD tosses and an interception in his most promising performance since spraining his ankle last month, while RB Matt Forte had a pedestrian 69 yards on the ground on 21 touches in the backfield.
Losing outright would decimate either team’s postseason hopes, although that’s especially true for the Saints, who will most certainly need a wild card berth to book their ticket to the playoffs. 11 different NFC teams are at .500 or better, with New Orleans and Chicago near the bottom of the pack. This adds a little spice to a game that has bettors emptying their wallets as it is.