Eagles 3-point favorites against Bears
Our weekly visit from Dave Staley of sportsbook.com:
Q: What's the line for Sunday night's game?
A: We opened the Eagles as two-point favorites, but the line has since moved to minus-3. At first glance, this number surprised me a little bit as the Eagles are coming off of two very disappointing losses.
After looking into this game a little deeper, it is obvious why the Birds are favored though. First and foremost, despite the Eagles' recent losses, they are still just a game behind the Cowboys in the NFC East, thanks to Dallas' loss against the Packers. Chicago, on the other hand, has little or no shot at winning its division.
More importantly though is the giveaway/takeaway stat. Thanks to Jay Cutler, the Bears are a minus-5, whereas the Eagles are a plus-10. Cutler already has 17 interceptions, and he is going up against an Eagles defense that has the third-most picks (15) in the NFL. If these trends continue Sunday, the Eagles shouldn't have a problem picking up a victory and covering.
It's early, but 91 percent of the early bettors are on the Eagles. By kickoff, this number will come down a bit, but I expect the boss to be rooting for the Bears come Sunday. This one-sided action has everything to do with Cutler's carelessness.
All that being said, I think a field goal is just too much to be giving on the road, considering the Eagles' recent performance.
Q: What about the over/under?
A: It is currently 45 points, which is exactly where it opened. This number surprises me a little as I figured it would be around 42.5.
Thanks mostly to Cutler's erratic play, the Bears scored 14 or fewer points in three of their last five games.
It is no secret that Andy Reid runs a pass-heavy offense. The Bears are actually pretty decent defending the pass, ranking eighth in the NFL.
The Eagles' defense has been very solid away from home this season, giving up just 17.7 points per on the road., although their injuries have been well-documented.
When these teams met the last two seasons, they would have covered this week's under both times.
All of my thoughts on the under being the smart play could easily be blown up if Cutler throws a pick-six or two, though.