Offense vs Defense should be the battlecry when the Los Angeles Rams take on the Chicago Bears in an NFC showdown at Soldier Field on Sunday.
The Rams rank in the Top 4 in most offensive statistical categories including points per game, yards per play, rushing yards per game and passing yards per game. Meanwhile, the Bears are in the Top 5 in many defensive categories including points allowed, opponent yards per play, rushing yards allowed, sacks and takeaways.
Jared Goff has completed 66.4% of his passes and has thrown for a total of 3,754 passing yards with 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Goff has thrown at least two touchdowns in seven out of his last 10 games played. Todd Gurley leads the Rams with 1,175 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Gurley rushed for 132 yards against the Lions last week, his sixth game this season with at least 100 rushing yards.
The Rams rank 2nd in the NFL in scoring at 34.9 points per game but are only 19th in the league in scoring defense, allowing 24.8 points per game this season. Los Angeles doesn’t have elite pass and rush defense but they will score tons of points against you, hence their success this season.
Chicago saw their five game win streak come to an end last week against the New York Giants, losing to the G-Men 27-30 in overtime. Mitchell Trubisky has thrown for a total of 2,469 passing yards this season with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Trubisky missed the Bears’ last game with a shoulder injury and was replaced by Chase Daniels who threw two interceptions as the Bears lost for the first time in six games. Trubisky is expected to play against the Rams, making this an exciting showdown between two of the league’s top young quarterbacks.
The Bears are averaging 28.7 points per game, which puts them at fifth place in the NFL. Chicago’s defense though is what gives them identity. The Bears allow just a total of 317 total yards per game and their rush defense ranks 2nd in the entire league. In terms of scoring defense, the Bears rank 4th overall, allowing just 20.1 points per games this season.
Los Angeles is 11-1 SU in their last 12 games played. The Rams are also 8-1 SU in their last nine games on the road. Chicago is 5-1 SU in their last six games played and 6-1 SU in their last seven games at home. Head to head, the Bears are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games against the Rams. Chicago is also 6-2 SU in their last 8 home games against Los Angeles.
The Bears’ five game win streak ended in New York last week with the Giants beating them in overtime. But that happened because starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky didn’t suit up for Chicago because of a shoulder injury. But Trubisky is expected to play on Sunday and the Bears’ offense is much better with him at the helm.
The Rams have lost just one game this season. They are arguably one of the top three teams in the league this season and at 11-1 SU in their last 12 games, there is no question they are the better team in this matchup. The only concern with this team is betting on them against the spread where they are just 5-5-2. Straight up though, I like the Ram to win this one. Chicago is an impressive 5-1 SU at home but more impressive is Los Angeles going 5-1 away from home this season. We’re picking the Los Angeles Rams to beat the Chicago Bears on 12/9/18.
The Rams are 1-3-1 ATS in their last five games played and are 3-3 ATS in their six road games played this season. The Bears are 5-1 ATS in their last six games played and are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games at home. Head to head, the Bears are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against the Rams.Chicago is also 6-2 in their last 8 home games against Los Angeles.
The Rams are 2-4-2 ATS in their last eight games when favored by at least three points. Meanwhile, the Bears are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine games when an underdog by at least three points. The Rams have been great this season but that greatness hasn’t reflected against the spread. A close look though reveals that the Rams have been a favorite of an average of 7.2 points in all their games this season so the high spreads are probably the main reason why they haven’t covered well this season. But at three points against the Bears on the road? I think the Rams have done enough this season to deserve my bet. Prediction: Rams -3
The total has gone under in four out of the last six games played by the Los Angeles Rams. On the other hand, the total has gone over in four out of the last five games played by the Chicago Bears. The over is also 4-1 in the last five home games played by Chicago.
The Rams have scored 30 or more points in 10 out of their 12 games played this season. Although Chicago is known for its defense, the Bears have the 5th best scoring average in the league. On the other hand, the Rams rank 2nd in team scoring and have won all season long because of offense. Los Angeles also has a mediocre defense which should help push the score over the total here. Prediction: Over 51
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