Chicago Bears at Houston Texans Spread
The Bears organization must be the in the good graces of the Man upstairs as he pulled quite a few strings for them last week to keep them in the running for the postseason. Not only did they squeak out a come from behind overtime win on Monday Night Football, but they also got losses from four other teams to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. In order to clinch a playoff spot, Chicago will need some more things to go their way in Week 17. First and foremost, the Bears will need to win themselves and odds makers don’t think it will happen. The Houston Texans are listed as 3-point favorites with the total set at 46.5.
The Bears need to beat the Texans and get some help from the New York Giants beating the Minnesota Vikings to win the NFC North. Chicago has slim wild card possibilities as well if it wins and the Cowboys and the Buccaneers lose. Dallas, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, and Philadelphia all lost in Week 16, and the Bears made the most of their luck by winning for in overtime for the second straight week to stay alive. Neither the offense or defense has been spectacular for the Bears of late, but they have receive a huge lift from their special teams. Last Monday night, Alex Brown made a fantastic play to block, Green Bay kicker, Mason Crosby’s 38-yard field goal attempt in the closing seconds to force overtime. In the extra frame, Bears kicker Robbie Gould connected on a 38-yarder for his second straight game winner.
Return man, Daniel Manning, who had an 83-yards kickoff return for a key score against the Saints in Week 16, set up Chicago’s first score with a 70-yard return last week. The Bears also recovered a punt, that hit a Green Bay player, which led to a touchdown. These big plays helped out an offense which was held to a season-low 210 yards and has not exceeded the 300-yard mark in any of its last four games. The Bears have been good when it matters most, however. Chicago mounted an eight-play, 51-yard drive in the fourth quarter to tie the game on a Matt Forte touchdown run. Forte carried over his tough running into OT, where he gained 47 yards on six plays to set up the Bears game winning field goal. Against the Saints the previous week, it was QB Kyle Orton, who completed 8 of 11 passes on the Bears’ final drive to set up Gould’s game-tying kick. While the Bears rookie running back has struggled with an injured toe recently, he showed no signs of it late in the game against the Packers when it looked like he wanted it more than anyone else. The second round pick has set a Bears rookie rushing mark with 1,188 yards this season and also has a team-high 60 grabs for 452 yards. Forte leads all rookies and is second in the league behind Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson with 1,640 total yards from scrimmage.
The Houston Texans were rolling, wining a franchise-record four straight games, until they went down 27-16 in Oakland last week. That loss kept the Texans from a chance at their first winning season in team history. They can equal their best record, which they set last season at 8-8, with a home win this week. It has been a roller coaster ride for Texans fans and players alike this season. With high hopes, Houston started the season 0-4. The Texans then alternated three-game winning and losing streaks before their recent four game run. One thing the Texans fans have been able to count on is solid performance at home. NFL betting on the Texans at home has produced six wins against only two losses straight up this season. The Texans have won nine of their last 11 home games dating back to last season.
The Texans success has stemmed from an offense which ranks third in the NFL at 377.2 yards per game. Most of those yards come via the air as QB Matt Schaub leads a passing attack that ranks fourth in the league. Recently, the running game has come alive, however, thanks to Houston calling rookie running back Steve Slaton’s number a whole lot more. With 1,190 yards, Slaton has topped Domanick Williams’ team record of 1,188 set in 2004.
