NFL Free Pick: NO/CHI
The Thursday night matchup this week pits two NFC teams fighting for their playoff lives when the Chicago Bears host the New Orleans Saints.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Bears –3 point spread favorite. The over/under for this game has been set at 45 total points.
Key Trend: New Orleans is 5-1 against the spread in its last six games, while the Bears are just 2-4 in their last six. The total has also gone over in four of Chicago’s last five games when playing at home against the Saints.
Key Stat: The Saints are averaging a whopping 310.2 passing yards a game, while the weak Bears’ secondary is allowing 234.2 yards per game. New Orleans is also averaging 28.2 points a game, while Chicago is surrendering 21.4 PPG.
Game Outlook: The Bears might have home field advantage and weather could be a factor as the snow started to fall in Chicago this week, but they don’t have an advantage on the field. The Saints’ passing game is the best in the league and Chicago doesn’t have the manpower in its defensive backfield to slow down Drew Brees, Marques Colstan and Lance Moore. Reggie Bush will also play a roll in the passing game, although don’t expect the Saints to run the ball effectively against a Bears’ front seven that often loads up to stop the run. Both teams need a victory to stay in the playoff hunt in the NFC, but the Saints proved last week that they could be a more balanced offense in a win over the Falcons. Buck the over trend in this game though – this is going to fall just under the total or hit it dead on.
Our Free NFL Pick for the Week 14 matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears game is
NEW ORLEANS +3
TheSpread.com Projected Final Score
New Orleans Saints 24
Chicago Bears 20
We also predict that this game will GO UNDER THE TOTAL (45 Sportsbook.com) SET BY ODDSMAKERS
Posted: 12/11/08 11:00AM ET