NFL Predictions: Bears vs. Eagles Preview

Written by Jake Thompson
Monday, 07 November 2011 00:14

Here are our Monday Night Football predictions in the NFL game between the Bears and the Eagles.

The Chicago Bears (4-3) are in for a tough road test in their Monday Night Football game against the Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) if you believe the NFL betting odds.  The home-team Eagles are currently 9-point favorites at Legends Sportsbook, while the total sits at 47.  Bet on the NFL game between the Bears and the Eagles at Legends Sportsbook and receive a 25% cash bonus just for using our link to get started!

One interesting statistic supporting Chicago’s chances in this game is that the underdog has covered the point spread in 7 of the last 9 head-to-head meetings between these two teams.  The Bears hold wins over the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season, but they’ve gone down against the New Orleans Saints, Green Bay packers, and Detroit Lions.

Philadelphia won their season opener against the St. Louis Rams but then went on to lose 4 straight games against the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Buffalo Bills.  The Eagles have rebounded nicely with wins over the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, but they have also lost 3 of the 4 games played against the Bears since 2007.

Chicago’s offense had problems with running the ball and pass protection earlier in the season, but it does appear that they’ve helped mask those deficiencies in recent games.  The Bears have a nice mix of the run and the pass, and they are going up against a Philadelphia defense that has given up 5.0 yards per carry on the year.  Chicago is averaging 32.3 points per game when they outrush their opposition, showing just how important that facet is to their offense.

It’s unlikely that the Bears will be able to outrush an Eagles squad that averages 180.0 yards on the ground a game, especially with quarterback Michael Vick (1852 yards, 63.2%, 11 TD, 8 INT) finally playing good football.  Philadelphia is nearly impossible to stop on offense and they will be going up against a Chicago defense that allows 5.2 yards per carry despite only giving up 108.7 rushing yards a game.  The Bears have really struggled with play action this year and Vick has the tools to make them pay.

Monday Night Football predictions call for both teams to score some points in what should prove to be an exciting game.  I’m going to call for the Eagles to win outright, but they really don’t have any business being favored by this many points.  They are just 1-2 on the year when playing in Philadelphia and make too many mistakes to deserve odds this high.  Bet on the Bears, but the Eagles should be able to pull out a narrow victory.

Bears vs. Eagles Score Predictions:

Bears 24

Eagles 27