The Chicago Bears have had good luck at the quarterback position this season, and they will be making another change there on Sunday, as they visit the Cleveland Browns. Jay Cutler, who has been sitting with a high ankle sprain, has been pronounced fit for action and gets the start as the Bears take on the Browns in NFL betting action that is slated to get underway at 1 PM ET at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.
Chicago is energized coming off a 45-28 win over Dallas on Monday night. The Bears are tied with the Dallas Cowboys for first place in the NFC East. The Browns are out of the playoff race, and they may have a little psychological damage besides, as they lost last week in very dramatic fashion.
In the pro football lines that have been posted on this game at BetAnySports, the Bears are just a very slight favorite:
Pro football lines courtesy of BetAnySports USA Online Sportsbook
Chicago Bears -1
Cleveland Browns +1
Over 44 Points -110
Under 44 Points -110
Cutler was put through an extensive practice on Wednesday and looked good, so coach Marc Trestman, who has never made any mistake about the fact that Cutler is his starter, will get the call. NFL bettors know full well that while he was gone, Josh McCown, who has been in the league for more than a decade, had the best moments of his career. The Bears only went 2-2 with McCown at the helm, but it’s not his fault that they weren’t better. McCown threw just one interception and has the league’s third best efficiency rating, and there has been a lot of noise about how Trestman should stick with him, inasmuch as he is the “hot hand” right now and someone who is very comfortable with the offense. But the head coach is not going to waver. And McCown is a veteran, so he understands his role as well. Any quarterback controversy is a media creation.
As BetAnySports customers know, what ISN’T a media creation is the Bears’ inability to defend the run. They are yielded 5.2 yards per rushing attempt, but the big question is whether Cleveland, which has not really done anything strong at the running back spot after trading Trent Richardson, can exploit that. Certainly they have a receiver in Josh Gordon who has been the most productive, by far, in the NFL in recent weeks. In the last four games he has had 774 yards, with two games in which he has exceeded 200 yards. With Jason Campbell having thrown just three interceptions in his last five games, the Browns have found a QB who’s made a connection with Gordon and is adequate for now. Is it enough to score a straight-up win in the pro football lines?