The Chicago Bears remained on top of the NFC North division with a 5-3 record following a disrespectful beating of the Buffalo Bills. The 3-5 Detroit Lions understands what the Bills are feeling right now, as they, too, were kicked in their faces in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Will the Lions respond by upsetting Chicago at Soldier Field? Or will the Bears extend the misery of Detroit?
NFL Futures going into this Sunday’s game have the Lions at the bottom of the NFC North, with just +2000 odds to win the division, while the Bears are a big step above with +165 to do the same by the end of the season.
We’re not sure of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford stole puppies from Detroit’s offensive linemen, but it looked like to be the case, as his protection unit let him get repeatedly tortured by the Minnesota Vikings in a 24-9 road loss on Sunday. For the record, Stafford was sacked 10 times for a loss of 56 yards. He was also hit 17 times. With pressure right in his face all game long, Stafford finished with just 199 passing yards with zero touchdowns on 25-of-36 completions. The Lions will go as far as where Stafford and his arm will take them, so they will need to protect him a whole lot better than the embarrassing effort their offensive line showed in Week 9. One positive takeaway for Detroit from that game is the return of defensive end defensive Ziggy Ansah following a six-game absence due to an injury. Ansah had a sack and could be comfortable in the field next week against the Bears. Detroit’s defense was solid in the Vikings game as it held Kirk Cousins down to only 164 passing yards while also picking him off once.
The Lions are 3-1 ATS in their last four road games.
Betting on the Chicago Bears (5-3)
The Bears, particularly their pass rushers, are definitely salivating at the prospect of mauling Stafford in the pocket in Week 10. As mentioned earlier, the Lions do have an incompetent offensive line that has failed to consistently shield their quarterback from punishment from opposing teams. It’s just the perfect match for the Bears’ defense that is seventh in the league in sacks with 24.0. Even if Khalil Mack miss another game, the Bears have enough talented bodies on their defense to thwart Stafford in the pocket. Mack has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, though, another week of rest could have him ready to be Stafford’s biggest nightmare at Soldier Field this coming Sunday. Mack leads the Bears with five sacks, while Akiem Hicks and Aaron Lynch have three quarterback takedowns apiece so far this season. In Week 9’s 42-9 demolition of a win against the Buffalo Bills on the road, the Bears sacked Nathan Peterman four times while intercepting him three times.
The Bears are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games.
