Monday Night Football Matchup: New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears
Site: Soldier Field – Chicago
Date/Time: Monday, December 15 – 8:30 PM ET
TV Coverage: ESPN
Football Betting Odds from BetAnySports USA Friendly Online Sportsbook
Football Betting Pointspread: Saints -3.5 (-105)
Total: 53.5 points
When the New Orleans Saints line up to face the Chicago Bears on Monday night at Soldier Field, they will be trying to, at the same time, erase the awful memory of last week’s laydown against the Carolina Panthers, as they allowed 497 yards to a rather limited offense and fell by a 41-10 score at the Superdome, and stay in the running to win the NFC South.
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That’s right; the Saints can still be in the playoffs, and as a matter of fact, will lead the division if they can beat Chicago. It’s been an amazing and bizarre story in the division, as nobody seems to want to win and advance to the post-season. New Orleans, which has lost four consecutive games at home, which is uncommon enough, has won its last two road games in what has been an interesting role reversal. The great thing about the NFL is that you can come back the next week and try it again, and indeed, the Saints have been very fortunate to have remained relevant up until now. They have the same 5-8 record as the Bears, who are in last place in the NFC North.
BetAnySports football betting customers are well aware that defense is a big problem for both of these squads. In terms of points allowed to their opponents on a per-drive basis, they are 31st and 32nd in the league. The Saints have allowed more yards per drive than anyone, but of course they have compensated for that somewhat by GAINING more yards per drive than any other team. There is no question that if this team had a viable stop unit, it would be dangerous. But right now what defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is doing is something head coach Sean Payton does not like at all, and these two have had a personality clash that will almost certainly result in the firing of Ryan at the end of the season.
Chicago has allowed 29 points per game and 30 touchdown passes. There is the general feeling that head coach Mark Trestman is a little bit too “soft” and cerebral, which doesn’t really fit in with the Bears’ hard-nosed image. There are bright spots, of course. Running back Matt Forte has gained 1578 yards from scrimmage, but there are a lot of people, including a fair share of BetAnySports NFL Sportsbooks patrons, who believe that he could have been better utilized. This has come up in discussions between Trestman and team management. Suffice it to say that he may be at the end of his rope.
Football bettors wonder, could the same thing be said about quarterback Jay Cutler? If you recall, Trestman had a hard time deciding whether Cutler was his kind of signal-caller, but after a relatively productive 2013 season he was signed to a big contract extension. A lot of Chicago fans are sorry about that now. Cutler has tossed 15 interceptions and fumbled the ball eleven times. When you consider that the Saints have amassed an average of 40 yards per drive and convert 49% of their third-down opportunities, the Bears just can’t afford for Cutler to cough up the ball in their own territory.
New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees seems to have had problems finding is tight end, Jimmy Graham, in the last two games, as the All-Pro tight end has had only 25 yards in receptions. NFL bettors should expect that to change on Monday night, considering Chicago’s banged-up secondary.
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