It wasn?t long ago that the Chicago Bears were on the fast track to an impressive 2013 campaign, but then things went south. Now hoping to recover from consecutive losses to the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints, Jay Cutler and company are 9-point favorites against the winless New York Giants on the NFL spread.
Will a date with the surprisingly futile Giants be enough to put the NFC North contenders back in a position to succeed? According to oddsmakers, the Bears hold 40-1 odds of winning the Super Bowl. Were they not in a division with equally unpredictable, yet formidable, forces like the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, that may even be higher.
Alas, life in the NFC North isn?t about to get any easier any time soon, making the Week 6 contest with Eli Manning?s crew all the more important. While the Bears may have more going for them early on, it would be folly to underestimate how dangerous a team like New York can be when desperation starts to kick in.
The Giants may have already kissed their playoff hopes goodbye, but it wouldn?t be the first time the club has exceeded expectations. Unfortunately, with just 150-1 odds of winning the Super Bowl, it?s safe to say that they may be more of a week-to-week option than anything NFL futures-related.
It?s precisely that which makes them an intriguing bet against Chicago. The Bears may come out particularly motivated after their recent slide, but a nine-point spread isn?t the easiest thing to cover. The Giants, then, could reasonably keep this game close enough to make winners of their supporters.
They?ll have to do it on the road, but considering Chicago?s underwhelming performance against New Orleans at Soldier Field in Week 5, it isn?t out of the question.
Another thing that the NFL betting community has to consider leading up to the Thursday Night Football clash is just how explosive of a matchup this pairing will be. Both clubs have the potential to go off on any given night, but neither has demonstrated an ability to do so consistently.
The result is a combined over/under total of 47.5 points. If Brandon Marshall and Victor Cruz can remind fans why they?re some of the best receivers in the game, we can expect that and more. Otherwise we?re in for a bit of a grind.
