New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears Betting Preview

Sunday features a matchup of NFC playoff hopefuls as the New Orleans Saints (4-2) take on the Chicago Bears (5-2). Chicago will host this matchup at Soldier Field, and kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 pm ET.
For the Saints, they come into this one having won three games in a row. However, none of those games were blowouts; in fact, all three of those games were decided by six points or less, with two of them decided by just a field goal.
Last week, Chicago was handed their second loss of the season, as they dropped the Monday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Rams, 24-10. The Bears have been polar opposites on each side of the ball. On defense, they have been stellar, ranking seventh in points allowed at just 20 per game. Offensively, though, Chicago has struggled, ranking 27th and averaging only 19.7 points per game.
It appears that Sunday that the weather may reaffirm why Chicago is called the “Windy City.” The forecast calls for cold temps and blustery winds, with gusts get up to 40 mph. If the weather is a factor, the run games will become crucial.
The Saints come into this one as the favorites, despite playing on the road. New Orleans is -230 to win, while the moneyline for the Bears sits at +190. The spread features New Orleans -5.5, while the over/under for total points is 42.5.
Offense Looks To Prevail On The Road
Quarterback Drew Brees may not be the elite quarterback that he once was, but he continues to put the Saints in a position to win every week. On the season, he has thrown for 1,618 yards, 11 touchdowns, and three interceptions. He hasn’t been throwing as many deep balls, but on a day that may be exceptionally windy, that may not be a bad thing.
Brees has also been without his best receiver, Michael Thomas, for much of the season. Reports indicate that he will, once again, be out for this game. Without Thomas, running back Alvin Kamara has been the leading receiver. He has 46 receptions for 460 yards and three touchdowns. Emmanuel Sanders is next with 26 receptions for 304 yards and two touchdowns.
On the ground, Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray lead the pack. Kamara has 75 rushes for 364 yards and four touchdowns, while Murray has 63 rushes for 265 yards and two touchdowns.
Chicago Hopes To Defend Home Field
The Bears are 2-1 at home and will hope that the conditions will allow their defense to prevail. Still, they will have to get their offense rolling, especially the ground game.
David Montgomery is their lead running back. He has 96 rushes for 353 yards and a touchdown. His 3.7 yards per attempt is disappointing, but it is not all on Montgomery. The offensive line has struggled to get any push and open up the running lanes.
Nick Foles is once again under center. Since replacing Mitch Trubisky in Week 3, Foles has thrown for 1,139 yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Foles’ leading receiver has been Allen Robinson, who has 44 receptions for 544 yards and two touchdowns. After going into concussion protocol, Robinson is doubtful for this game, so, like the Saints, the Bears may be without their best receiver.
Saints Win And Cover
Despite their strong defense, the Bears showed their susceptibility to the run last week when they allowed the Rams to rush for 161 yards and a touchdown. Now, they have to go against one of the best running backs in the league in Kamara, and that could spell disaster.
Throw on top of that how bad the Bears’ offense has been, and it is tough to pick them. Unless Chicago can get some scoring out of their defense or special teams, the Saints will win and cover the 5.5 points in this one.
FREE PICK: New Orleans Saints (-5.5)