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Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers NFL Picks & Predictions

The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers meet this Sunday Night on NBC prime time in a Week 1 NFC North Division showdown at legendary Lambeau Field. After winning back-to-back division titles in 2005 and 2006, the Bears have missed out on postseason football each of the last two seasons. One of the biggest reasons for Chicago’s struggles has been inconsistent quarterback play and the Bears hope they finally have that one solved with the addition of Pro Bowler Jay Cutler. Green Bay missed out on the postseason badly in 2008, posting just six wins, after winning the division in 2007. Chicago leads the all-time series 91-80-6 and it has won four of the last six meetings. NFL odds makers are expecting nothing short of a close game, listing the home Packers as 3.5-point favorites with the total set at 46.

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Sunday’s meeting marks the 177th time these two storied franchises have faced off, making this the oldest running rivalry in the NFL. The Chicago Bears are hoping that the addition of Jay Cutler can help them keep their recent edge over the Packers. The Bears gave up a lot to get Cutler, but I think it was the necessary move. They have a team in place geared toward winning now and hopefully Cutler will be the missing link. He was very sharp in the preseason, but my biggest concern is if the Bears have enough playmakers around him. We know what running back Matt Forte can do, but who will emerge as Chicago’s No. 1 receiving target? The Bears would like it to be speedster Devin Hester, but he appears to still be a work in progress. Tight end Greg Olson looks like Chicago’s most promising pass catcher right now.

Defensively, the Bears need a bounce back season and one guy I count on to hold up on his end of the bargain is linebacker Brian Urlacher. He seems to always play well against the Packers and has come up big with an interception in three of the last four meetings. It is worth noting that the underdog is 4-1 against the spread in the last five meetings and the road team is 13-6-1 against the spread in the last 20 meetings. If you think Chicago has what it takes to pull off the upset, bet the Bears at +3.5 at BetUS.

Few, if any, played their position better than Green Bay signal caller Aaron Rodgers did in the preseason. With a strong cast of receivers, led by Greg Jennings, the Packers should have no problem moving the football through the air. I’m also expecting a bounce back season from running back Ryan Grant who is now healthy. In other words, the Packer offense looks to be about as sound a unit as there is in the league. It’s the defense that raises questions. Green Bay has made the transition to a 3-4 defense under coordinator Dom Capers after struggling in 2008. The transition went well in the preseason, but the preseason isn’t always the best judge. The player I will be watching the most on this unit is Aaron Kampman. Kampman has tallied 37 sacks since the beginning of the 2006 season, third most in the NFL during that span, at the defensive end position. Now, I’m interested to see how he will perform at outside linebacker. If Green Bay is able to mount a strong pass rush, it could be scary. That would only allow lock down corners Al Harris and Charles Woodson to be even more effective. It is also worth noting that the Packers are 6-1 against the spread in their last seven games versus the NFC North. If you like Green Bay to hold serve at home, bet the Packers at -3.5 at BetUS.

*Note: There’s no need to guess.  Find out who Jimmy Boyd likes to win this matchup by grabbing his Bears/Packers Sunday Night Football Smash in his NFL expert picks package!

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