Sharing on the BEARS OVER 9 -135
Free NFL Futures Prediction From Robert Ferringo
Take Chicago Bears 'Over' 9.0 Wins (-135)
This one is kind of the en vogue futures wager right now. And there is great
reason for it. The Bears season win over/under opened at 8.5 but has already
been bet up to 9.0. And I wouldn't be surprised if this one doesn't get to 9.5
before the start of the season. Last year I cashed my 7-Unit Rated Futures Play
on Chicago 'under' 8.5 Wins. I won that one, but even I will admit that I was
a little fortunate. The Bears were 7-3 and playing like one of the best teams in
football when Jay Cutler was injured. They sputtered to a 1-5 finish and an 8-8
record. Cutler's injury wasn't a fluke though; he was playing behind one of the
worst lines in football and shackled with one of the worst coordinators in the
NFL over the last decade in Mike Martz. However, Martz is gone, the Bears
drafted line help and brought in a new offensive philosophy aimed at protecting
Cutler. Chicago also has a huge amount of excitement and buzz because of the
additions of Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, and they were able to lock
up Pro Bowl back Matt Forte this summer. Marshall has a chance to be the best
wideout the Bears have had in a quarter century and will give them a whole new
element to their attack. The Bears also still have the core of a sensational defense,
one that has been just a tick below the Ravens over the past decade in terms of
having the best stop unit in the NFL. So the pieces are in place for the Bears to
be among the NFL's elite.
But the real reason that I like this play is that their schedule sets up perfectly. The
NFC North is an excellent division - one of the best in football. But I think it is
reasonable to assume the Bears split with Green Bay and Detroit and they should
sweep Minnesota, giving them a 4-2 division mark. Well, the North crosses over
with two of the weakest divisions in football: the AFC South (the worst in football)
and the NFC West (second worst). The Bears play Indianapolis (2-14), St. Louis
(2-14) and Jacksonville (5-11) within the first five weeks. Then they get a bye
before home games against Detroit and Carolina. After that is a manageable trip
to Tennessee before another stretch of three of four at home (Houston, at San
Fran, Minnesota, Seattle). I see the Bears starting 3-2 (at least), then taking AT
LEAST two of three from the Detroit-Carolina-Tennessee swing. That would
be 5-3 before that key midseason home stretch, and I can see them winning three
of four there. That would leave the Bears at 8-4 with a lot of momentum going
into December. Their last four games are at Minnesota (win), Green Bay at home,
at Arizona and at Detroit. If Chicago has already lost to the Packers and/or Detroit
then I think they will even up with a win in the rematch. And the Bears are certainly
better than an Arizona team that could be mailing it in at that point. I think I'm pretty
conservative with my expectations here and I am seeing at least 10 wins on this
schedule. They should only be underdogs in no more than five games and I will call
for the Bears to go 11-5, to make the playoffs, and to sail over this total. With their
upgrades, changes and schedule I don't see any way that they aren't better than last
year's 8-8 mark.
