Week 8 features a matchup between the 3-4 Chicago Bears and the 2-4 San Francisco 49ers. The Bears are coming back home after being dealt a drubbing in Tampa Bay, while the 49ers are back on the road following a 30-18 loss to the Colts. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t mince words on the loss, saying it was the worst game of Jimmy Garoppolo‘s career.
Both teams now find themselves into that must-win territory to keep pace in the playoff race. While the 49ers are the team you would expect to win in this game, judging by their most recent performance, it is safe to say they aren’t playing at that high of a level to look down on the Bears.
The 49ers will likely come into this game with urgency due to riding a four-game losing streak and coming out of their bye flat. On the flip side, the Bears should also be ready for this game following back-to-back losses for the first time all year.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at our 49ers vs. Bears predictions and best bets.
Please note that all odds and lines are current as of 1:30 p.m. ET on October 29.
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49ers vs Bears Prediction
The Chicago Bears defense found itself recovering well from their opening night loss to the Rams in recent weeks. That was, of course, until their 38-3 defeat at the hands of Tampa Bay last week. They will surely be looking to get back to usual and resemble the unit was top-10 in DVOA.
The Bears offense has been anemic to say the least, and it hit a new low last week when rookie Justin Fields recorded the second-lowest QBR of the season. Chicago has been lucky to receive some very impressive production out of rookie late-round running back Khalil Herbert, who had 100 yards rushing on 18 carries against the best run defense in football.
It remains to be seen if the Bears can get Fields going, but the running game is alive and well. If the Bears were able to have success against the Buccaneers on the ground, they will surely be able to run against a middling San Francisco rush defense.
San Francisco’s defense has allowed 24.8 points per game this year and just gave up 30 to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football. The issue with this unit has been inconsistency as far as points allowed. However, the defense as a whole is mostly average against both the run and pass.
On offense, the 49ers have been decimated by injuries at the skill positions. However, the emergence of Deebo Samuel has helped to bail out the San Francisco offense.
It’s hard to give the Niners their fifth-straight loss even if it is at Soldier Field. However, unless Andy Dalton is under center, I do not see the Bears winning this even with a run game. This will be an ugly game overall, with the Niners sneaking by Chicago on the road.
I’ve been a huge fan of Fields and I believe he will have a great career, but at this moment, it feels like he is stuck in neutral and isn’t showing much of anything to be excited about.
Prediction: 49ers 20, Bears 19
The San Francisco 49ers will need to defeat the Chicago Bears on Sunday to keep from falling too far behind in the NFC West. (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
49ers vs Bears Best Bets
Best Bet: Bears +4 (-110) at Caesars
Wager: 1 Unit
After looking at our NFL gameday odds, it may seem hard to pick a team that simply can’t move the ball well at all. However, neither of these teams are in a good position right now.
I like this line for the Bears at home in the Windy City. San Francisco was flat off of the bye week, and Chicago was equally meh on the road. However, the Niners are still on the road, will be in a hostile environment and going against a good defense without a high-octane offense like the Buccaneers.
I’m taking Chicago +4, as I believe this is going to come down to the wire and will be an ugly one-point loss for the Bears at home.
Best Bet: Under 39.5 (-110) at PointsBet
Wager: 1 Unit
Starting with Week 1, Bears games have combined for an average of 37.5 points, while 49ers games have averaged 47.3 points. The Bears only have two games that would have gone over this week’s total of 39.5, while the the Niners have have three games.
Chicago’s defense is allowing touchdowns in the red zone 51.85% of the time which is eighth-best in the league, and San Francisco’s defense is allowing touchdowns in the red zone 72.73% of the time which is tied for No. 26 in the league. Chicago’s offense, however, is only scoring touchdowns in the red zone 58.82% of the time.
The 49ers may be susceptible to giving up touchdowns inside the 20, but the Bears are struggling to score there. The final thing to take away here is how the 49ers are tied for No. 19 in the league in red zone attempts, while the Bears come in at No. 25.
I expect this to be a field goal type of game more than a shootout, and because of that, I have the Under of 39.5 in this NFL bet of the day.
Thank you for reading our NFL Week 8 49ers vs Bears Predictions! Stay tuned to The Game Day for more NFL Week 8 betting tips and expert analysis.
