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Bears Raiders Odds

The Oakland Raiders and Chicago Bears have been two of the league’s biggest surprises this season. Both are in the playoffs if the season were to end today. That makes this is a critical non-conference showdown Sunday when Chicago visits Oakland with kickoff set for 4:05 EST. These teams have only faced each other seven times since 1987. The Bears have won the last two meetings, including a 17-6 road victory in their most recent clash back in 2007.

Taking a look at the spreads for Week 12, I find a line of Oakland -4 over Chicago and a total set of 41 points.

Oakland

The Raiders sit atop the AFC West division thanks to a recent two-game winning streak. Oakland (6-4, 2-3 home) has actually been a much better team on the road than they have been inside the Coliseum at home. They picked up a huge road win over the San Diego Chargers on November 10th. After getting an extra three days of rest, they came back last Sunday and took down the Minnesota Vikings on the road 27-21.

Oakland erased a 7-0 deficit against the Vikings by responding with 27 unanswered points to take a commanding 20-point lead by the end of the third quarter. Minnesota would answer with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but they turned the ball over on downs on their final drive, and the Raiders held on for victory. Carson Palmer threw for 164 yards and a touchdown, while Michael Bush rushed for 109 yards and a score to lead the way for Oakland.

The Raiders come into this game ranked 10th in total offense (376.5 yards/game) and 24th in total defense (371.7 yards/game). Leading rusher Darren McFadden (614 yards, four TD) has missed the last three games with a foot injury, but he may return this week. Bush (599 yards, five TD) has done an excellent job in his place. Palmer is completing 58.6 percent of his passes for 911 yards with six touchdowns and seven interceptions since taking over the starting job in place of the injured Jason Campbell. He threw six picks in his first two games, but has only thrown one in his last two, and that came after a defender hit his arm.

Chicago

The Bears come into this game riding high. Chicago (7-3, 2-2 road) opened the season with three losses in their first five games, but they’ve responded with a five-game winning streak. They have been doing most of their damage at home, but the Bears have to close out the season with four road games in six weeks, starting Sunday. After trouncing the Detroit Lions 37-13 on November 20th, they came back last week and took care of the San Diego Chargers by a final of 31-20.

It wasn’t all good news for the Bears in their win over the Chargers. Jay Cutler suffered a broken thumb that is likely going to keep him out of action over the final six games. His injury overshadowed everything else that went right for Chicago. They handed San Diego their fifth straight loss, outgaining them 379-332 while forcing three turnovers. Cutler threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Matt Forte rushed for 59 yards, and Johnny Knox caught three balls for 97 yards, including a spectacular 24-yard touchdown grab.

Chicago comes in ranked 17th in the league in total offense (332.9 yards/game) and 25th in total defense (371.9 yards/game). Those aren’t necessarily numbers that would reflect a 7-3 team, but the Bears have been winning the turnover battle, and they continue to get huge special teams plays from Devin Hester. Backup Caleb Hanie will be taking over the starting quarterback duties. He hasn’t attempted a pass yet this season, though he did play well in place of the injured Cutler in the NFC Championship last year. Expect an even heavier dose of Matt Forte (926 rushing yards, 465 receiving yards, four total TD) the rest of the way.

Betting Trends

The Raiders are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall, but just 3-14 ATS in their last 17 games as a home favorite.

The Bears are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall, but only 5-11-1 ATS in their last 17 games as a road underdog.

Looking for a proven winner to help you with your NFL wagering?  Jack Jones is your man with over 30 years of handicapping experience his side.