Bears Saints Odds

Written by Jack Jones

The New Orleans Saints host the Chicago Bears Sunday in a key NFC showdown between two playoff teams from a year ago. The Saints look to rebound from their heartbreaking loss to the defending champion Green Bay Packers, while the Bears try to build off a huge win over the Atlanta Falcons. Kick off is set for 1:00 EST Sunday.

The Week 2 NFL odds show the Saints as a 6.5-point favorite in the Superdome.

New Orleans

The Saints lost a thriller on opening night to the Packers by a final of 42-34. New Orleans fell behind 21-7 early, but continued to fight back for four quarters to make a game out of it. Trailing by 15 with just over two minutes to go, Drew Brees found Jimmy Graham on a 5-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to eight. The Saints would force a punt, getting the ball back with not much time left and the length of the field to go with no timeouts. They would get it all the way down to the 1-yard line for one final play, but rookie Mark Ingram was stopped short as time expired.

Brees finished with 419 passing yards and three touchdowns, not throwing a single interception. Each team exchanged special teams touchdowns, with Darren Sproles taking a punt back 72 yards for the Saints, and Randall Cobb scoring on a 108-yard kickoff return for the Packers. Sproles had an excellent debut, catching seven balls for 75 yards. Ingram finished with 40 rushing yards on 13 carries. Devery Henderson caught six balls for 100 yards and a score, while Marques Colston chipped in six receptions for 81 yards. The Saints will be playing without Colston for the next four weeks as he suffered a broken collarbone on the team’s final drive. New Orleans actually outgained Green Bay 477-399 for the game.

Chicago

The Bears came into their game with the Falcons as an underdog, and they must have taken it personal. This one was all Chicago as the Bears took a 30-6 lead into the fourth quarter, and came out victorious by a final of 30-12. This is a team that isn’t getting much respect despite winning the NFC North last season with an 11-5 record. The Bears were actually outgained 377-386, but they forced three turnovers and turned them into quick points. Brian Urlacher scored on a 12-yard fumble return, and he also had an incredible interception. The only touchdown Chicago allowed was due to their offense. Jay Cutler was intercepted by Kroy Biermann early in the fourth, and he returned it 50 yards for a score.

Aside from that one pick, Cutler played very well. He completed 22 of 32 for 312 yards and two touchdowns. Matt Forte continues to prove he’s one of the top backs in the league. He had 16 carries for 68 yards, but did most of his damage as a pass-catcher. Forte caught five balls for 90 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown pass from Cutler. Johnny Knox had three receptions for 60 yards, which was the same stat line as Devin Hester. Making his Bears debut, Roy Williams finished with four catches for 55 yards. Cutler did an excellent job of spreading the ball around Sunday.

Betting Trends

These teams last met in 2008 in Chicago, where the Bears prevailed 27-24 in overtime. Chicago has won four straight over New Orleans dating back to 2005, but the Saints won the three meetings prior. The Bears are 2-0-2 ATS in the last 4 meetings, the home team is 3-0-2 ATS in the last 5 meetings, and the underdog is 5-2-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings. Also, the Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.

New Orleans has responded well to adversity, going 14-5 ATS in their last 19 games following a loss. They are just 8-17 ATS in their last 25 vs. NFC foes, though. While the Bears are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games as an underdog, they are just 8-22 ATS in their last 30 games as a road underdog of 3.5-10.0 points.

Looking for pro football wagering advice this weekend? Trust in expert handicapper Jack Jones to take your bankroll to the next level in Week 2 NFL action.

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