Jay Cutler wasn't with Chicago last season when they dropped a heartbreaker to the Falcons in Atlanta, but you can bet his Bears teammates have told him all about it.
Last week we cashed a Big Ticket with a hungry, motivated Atlanta Falcons team coming off a bye as underdogs in San Francisco. This time around, the Falcons are the favorites, and they’ll be ones facing a hungry, motivated underdog coming off a bye week.
Last year the Bears scored the game winning touchdown in Atlanta with 11 seconds remaining. Unfortunately for Chicago, their squib kick was not effective, and the Falcons got the ball at their own 44 yard line with six seconds left. One 26 yard Matt Ryan completion later, Jason Elam stole the victory away from Chicago with a 48-yard field goal with no time remaining.
That loss cost the Bears a playoff berth; a truly bitter defeat. Revenge doesn’t mean much in the NFL, but in this rare instance, it means something very real.
The Bears have shown the ability to hang tough in hostile environments this year. They should have covered at Green Bay in Week 1; most assuredly the ‘right side’ in that ballgame, and they won outright in Seattle two weeks later. The Bears do not make good favorites, but they do make good underdogs, especially with their newfound confidence coming from behind late – Jay Cutler guided them to fourth quarter wins over the Steelers and Seahawks.
In a game where any type of margin will be difficult to obtain, don’t expect either team to win this game by more than a field goal. Take the Bears, but be sure to get ‘em +3.5 or higher!
Free Pick: Bears +3½ (-110)