Monday Night Football Betting Odds for the Bears vs. Chargers
Carrie Stroup here with your Monday Night Football betting odds for the Bears vs. Chargers game. One of these two teams is hoping to advance to three wins this season, making for a less than exciting MNF matchup.
CHICAGO BEARS (2-5) at SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (2-6)
Sportsbook.ag Line: San Diego -4, Total: 49.5
Both of teams will be looking for a spark to ignite their seasons Monday night as the Bears lumber into Southern California to take on the Chargers.
The Chicago Bears (2-5 SU and 3-4 ATS) have struggled through the first eight weeks of the season, dropping three games to start the season, and losing their past two games by a field goal apiece.
San Diego (2-6 SU and 3-5 ATS) hasn’t fared much better, losing six of their past seven games, including last week’s heartbreaker at Baltimore, despite the offensive prowess of QB Philip Rivers.
The trends are a mixed bag for the Bears in this week’s game. Underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points with a poor first half defense (14+ PPG) are 70-31 ATS since 1983 coming off a loss by 6 or fewer points, and the team is 18-6 ATS against AFC West division opponents since 1992. On the other hand, Chicago is 14-39 ATS versus excellent offensive teams (averaging 6+ yards/play) since 1992.
In the Chargers’ favor, favorites with a terrible passing defense (allowing 7.5+ yards/attempt) are 40-21 over the last five seasons coming off of two straight games of allowing 7+ yards/attempt.
Both teams are reeling from injuries to key players, with Chicago RB Matt Forte (knee) and San Diego WR Keenan Allen (kidney) expected not to play Monday night. The Bears will also be watching WR Eddie Royal (knee), LB Shea McClellin (knee), T Jermon Bushrod (concussion), and C Hroniss Grasu (neck) who are all listed as questionable.
The Chargers can practically field a full team with injured players, as TE Ladarius Green (angle), DE Corey Liuget (foot), S Eric Weddle (groin), G Orlando Franklin (leg), LB Denzel Perryman (bicep), LB Tourek Williams (foot), CB Craig Mager (hamstring), LB Manti Te’o (ankle), CB Brandon Flowers (knee), and T King Dunlap (ankle) are all questionable to play Monday.
Chicago’s offense has experienced a significant downgrade this season relative to the last few years, thanks to injuries that have kept WR Alshon Jeffrey sidelined for all but three games, and the off-season departure of WR Brandon Marshall. The team generates 20.0 PPG and 333 YPG (both 27th in NFL), and QB Jay Cutler has only found the end zone through the air on eight occasions (25th in league). On the plus side, the offense has only turned the ball over eight times (7th in NFL), and has seen an uptick in their last three games scoring 24.0 PPG and gaining 359.0 YPG. Cutler is 2-4 SU and 1-5 ATS in his career playing the Chargers, averaging 254.5 YPG and tallying nine TDs in six games.
Opponents have been able to plow through the Bears’ defense this season, hanging an average of 28.9 PPG (29th in league). The squad has produced just eight turnovers (24th in NFL), and ranks towards the bottom of the league in passing TDs allowed (16) and rushing yards allowed (128 YPG). On a bright note, the otherwise porous Chicago run defense has only allowed two TDs on the ground, second-best in the NFL.
San Diego has leaned hard on its offense over the first half of the season, relying almost entirely on QB Philip Rivers to move the ball down the field. The team has scored 23.9 PPG (14th in league), and leads the league in total YPG (423.3) and passing YPG (336.9). Rivers is the league leader in passes completed (243) and attempted (348), and is behind only Patriots’ QB Tom Brady and Cardinals’ QB Carson Palmer with 18 passing TDs – though his productivity may take a hit in the absence of his number one receiver Keenan Allen. Rivers is 1-1 SU and ATS against the Bears in his career, averaging a scant 235 YPG while throwing just 2 TDs and 3 interceptions.
The Chargers’ defense has been as impotent as their opponent’s, allowing 28.4 PPG (27th in NFL) and forcing just seven turnovers (30th in league). They have proven particularly susceptible to the running game, spotting opposing rushers 124.6 YPG (27th in league), 8 TDs (25th in NFL), and a league-worst 5.0 rushing yards per attempt.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
