Giants vs. Bears Week 17 Picks: Chicago Favored Off of Rare Win
The Chicago Bears come off an upset road win in Week 16 to host the lowly New York Giants on Sunday. We break down the all-NFC matchup with our Giants-Bears NFL picks.
New York enters this game on a four-game losing skid, with all four losses coming by at least 11 points. The Giants have lost six consecutive road games and are just 1-7 straight up in their eight road games this season. New York is 6-9 ATS and failed to cover the spread in each of its last four games.
Chicago lost eight of its last 10 games but ended a three-game losing skid with a win at the Seattle Seahawks last week. The Bears have lost five consecutive home games. Their cover last week as 8-point underdogs was their first ATS win in their last six games.
Here are my picks and predictions for the NFL's Week 17 matchup between the Giants and Bears (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Giants vs. Bears Game Info
Date/Time: Sunday, Jan. 2, 1 p.m. ETTV: CBSLocation: Soldier Field, Chicago, ILWeather: 19 degrees, 20% chance of precipitation, 15 mph winds
Giants vs. Bears Odds Analysis
Chicago opened as low as 4-point home favorites but is now -6 at most sportsbooks. This is the first time the Bears have been favored in five games, while the Giants have been underdogs in all but one game this season. Sixty-seven percent of the early bets and 69% of the cash is on the Bears.
The Over/Under has dropped from an initial total of 38 points down to 37.5. That is the lowest total of any game on the Week 17 slate and is the first game either team will play all season with a total in the 30s. Still, 58% of the bets and 52% of the handle is on the Under.
Both teams are profitable Under teams, with New York's O/U record at 5-9-1, while the Under cashed in nine of Chicago's 15 games.
Giants vs. Bears Picks
Bears -6 (-110) ???Under 37.5 (-110) ??
SEE ALSO: NFL Week 17 Betting Odds, Lines, and Picks
Giants vs. Bears Predictions
Bears -6 (-110)
Just when it looked like both teams were mailing it, Chicago outscored Seattle 11-0 in the fourth quarter last week and escaped with an impressive road victory. Third-string quarterback Nick Foles became the third Bears quarterback to win a start this season, and Chicago is now 3-2 when a quarterback other than rookie Justin Fields starts.
This week, the Bears' quarterback plans remain a mystery, with Fields (ankle) and Andy Dalton (COVID-19 protocols) still questionable, though Fields would likely be named the starter if healthy. Regardless, we have more faith in whoever starts at quarterback for Chicago than we do in New York's Mike Glennon.
New York has averaged just 11.5 points per game and has a minus-8 turnover margin during its four-game losing skid. The Giants' defensive players are frustrated with the team's quarterback play, even prompting defensive back Logan Ryan to offer his services at quarterback given what Glennon and Jake Fromm have been unable to do in the absence of Daniel Jones.
As long as this number stays below a touchdown, we are firing away on the Bears.
Under 37.5 (-110)
It will be frigid in Chicago on Sunday with a high of 19 degrees and will likely feel in the lower teens after factoring in the wind chill. Despite this being the lowest total on the board, we still think this game stays Under the projected total.
New York has scored more than 13 points just once in its last six games and is coming off a season-low 192 total yards against the Philadelphia Eagles in a 34-10 loss. The Giants' offensive line cannot block anybody, and they have had too many injuries at the skill positions all season to generate any consistent offense.
As much as New York's offense has struggled, the Giants have hung in defensively pretty well. They held Philadelphia to just three first-half points last week before the wheels fell off. They also limited the Dallas Cowboys' high-powered offense to just 21 points the week before.
Both teams have been profitable Under teams all season long. Neither team will generate enough offense in chilly temperatures to push this game over the projected total.
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Giants-Bears picks made on 12/29/2021 at 12:33 p.m. ET.