The Packers are in the NFL playoffs for a third consecutive season. Their prize is a trip to Chicago in early January.
The Packers lost to the Vikings and the Bears lost to the Lions on Sunday, though not much can be gleaned from either contest. What's more pertinent is the Packers and Bears will be facing each other for a third time after two meetings in December.
Here are the opening Packers vs Bears odds for the Wild Card Round of the playoffs next weekend.
Packers vs Bears Odds
| Packers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -120 | 46.5 -110o / -110u | -110 |
| Bears Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +100 | 46.5 -110o / -110u | -110 |
NFL Wild Card odds as of Monday at 12:03 a.m. ET.
Packers vs Bears Wild Card Preview
Green Bay Packers
The Packers aren’t exactly waltzing into the playoffs. It’s a third consecutive 7-seed for Green Bay after a four-game losing streak to end the regular season.
Jordan Love had been heating up and making a late MVP push before the Packers lost in Denver, then lost Love for their final three games.
He’s back for the playoffs, but Green Bay’s injuries have stacked up. None are bigger than the loss of Micah Parsons, the team’s all-in addition before the season, and his absence has left the defense in shambles down the stretch.
Green Bay had only one win all season against a team that entered this weekend with a playoff spot locked up, and it ranks second to last in points off takeaways.
The Packers have succeeded when it comes to explosive plays as they boast the best margin in the league, but that can leave the team running hot and cold, waiting for that big play.
Love has the talent to capture lightning in a bottle in the NFC, but the Packers face an uphill battle.
Chicago Bears
What a season for the Bears, who rebounded from a 0–2 start to win the division and finish tied for the most franchise wins in two decades!
Everything has changed under new head coach Ben Johnson. Sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams is progressing nicely, and the run game has exploded with Johnson’s scheme and a big investment in the offensive line that’s paid off.
Chicago’s big push came down the stretch, starting with a Black Friday win in Philadelphia, then an overtime December win over the rival Packers to clinch the division.
But while the offense has been reliable, the defense remains quite shaky. The unit ranks bottom 10 by DVOA on the season and has been especially poor against the run, and injuries to that side certainly haven’t helped.
These are certainly not your typical Midway Monsters – Chicago will probably have to win shootouts to advance in the playoffs – but Williams and Johnson have given plenty of reasons to believe.
