Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears - December 26, 2024

As we gear up for Thursday night’s showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, it’s time to dive into the numbers and see what they tell us about this matchup. The oddsmakers have pegged the Bears as -3.5 favorites, which is intriguing given their recent struggles.

First off, let’s examine how these teams stack up statistically. The Bears are averaging 19.4 points per game while allowing a whopping 27.8 points on defense (calculated from their current season’s performance). Their passing game has been relatively average with 220.4 yards per contest at a completion rate of 62.6%. When it comes to rushing, they’re slightly better at 102.1 yards per game but only manage 6.4 yards per attempt – not exactly lighting it up.

On the other hand, we’ve got the Seahawks boasting an average of 22.6 points scored each outing along with a more robust passing attack that produces an impressive 266.4 yards through the air at a much higher completion percentage of nearly 70%. However, their ground game has struggled significantly compared to Chicago’s output, contributing only about 91.9 rush yards per game.

Now let’s look at recent form; Chicago is in dire straits with nine consecutive losses and has failed to cover in four of its last five games (1-3-1 ATS). Meanwhile, Seattle has fared better recently going 4-2 against the spread in their last six matchups despite losing tight contests like their last one against Minnesota (27-24).

In terms of trends within this specific matchup: if we consider that underdogs historically perform well when they do end up winning outright – should Seattle snag that victory over Chicago tonight – they’ll also cover that +3.5-point spread by default.

Now for predictions: I foresee a win for the Bears here due to home-field advantage; however, I believe Seattle will keep it close enough to cover the spread given both teams’ recent performances and tendencies—especially considering how inconsistent Chicago’s offense has been lately with just an average scoring output hovering around mid-teens.

On another note regarding total scoring expectations—the OVER/UNDER opened at 44 but trending towards UNDER seems plausible based on each team’s inability lately to exceed point totals consistently coupled with both defenses presenting some resistance overall throughout various games leading up until now.

To summarize: while my prediction leans towards a Bears victory this evening driven by sheer necessity amidst dire circumstances on their side—don’t sleep on those Seahawks covering! Expect modest fireworks as two struggling units face off; let’s say final score ends something like Bears squeaking out ahead yet still tight…perhaps around ‘23–20’ type outcome where points might be scarce enough leaving betting markets happy too!