NFL Betting: Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears

Added on Jan 14, 2011 by Jack Thurman in

NFL

This time last week, the Seattle Seahawks were the only team in NFL history to win their division and make the playoffs with a losing regular season record. Following an upset victory over the visiting New Orleans Saints they’re now the first team with a losing record to ever win a playoff game. They’ll try to keep their improbable run going this weekend as they head to Soldier Field in Chicago to take on the Bears. Chicago won the NFC North with a record of 11-5 and had a bye last weekend.

Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears
January 16, 2011 10:00 AM Pacific

Realistically, the Seattle Seahawks shouldn’t be here. Heading into the game against the Saints last weekend the Seahawks were 3-18 SU/5-15-1 ATS against teams with winning records. They were 1-12 SU/2-10-1 ATS against winning teams in the second half of the season. Overall, the Seahawks were on a 11-23 ATS run as an underdog and 0-5 SU/1-4 ATS as a 10+ point underdog. Matt Hasselbeck finished the regular season 3001 yards passing with 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions this year and his 73.2 quarterback rating was his lowest total since 2001.

Credit to Seattle for taking care of business on their home field, but we expect any suggestion that they’re a ‘team of destiny’ to die hard on the Soldier Field grass. Statistically, they’re still a horrible team in virtually every phase of the game. The Seahawks finished the regular season with the #28 ranked total offense, the #19 passing offense, the #31 rushing offense and the #23 scoring offense. They also had the #27 total defense, the #27 passing defense, the #21 rushing defense and the #25 scoring defense. In other words, they’re a team that ranked in the lower 1/3 of the league in *every* significant statistical category. The Seahawks have decent special teams—and a very dangerous kick returner in Leon Washington—but are substandard in every other phase of the game.

They’re receiving at least some public support, however, which explains the price on this game. Obviously the fact that New Orleans was the defending Super Bowl champions had some cachet with the public, but it’s tough to explain why the Seahawks are an identical +10 underdog in this matchup on the road against a rested Chicago team. Seattle is brutal on the road—they’re 3-13 SU/5-11 ATS away from home over the past two seasons. This season they lost by an average of 18.6 PPG away from the ‘Jet City’. Seattle did beat Chicago on this field in mid-October, but the Bears really came on late finishing the season on a 7-2 SU/6-2-1 ATS run. Look for the Bears to win by two TDs or more and cover this number. The weekend forecast is calling for snow so for now we’ll play it safe and look UNDER the total.

Bet Chicago Bears -10 over Seattle Seahawks
Bet Chicago/Seattle Under 41