Matt Temple-Marsh previews Thursday night's NFL action as a struggling Chicago Bears welcome Seattle Seahawks, who can cover the spread.
NFL betting tips: Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears
2pts Seattle Seahawks -5.5 at 6/5 (General)
1.5pts Zach Charbonnet anytime touchdown at 4/6 (bet365)
1pt Jaxon Smith-Njigba 100+ receiving yards at 5/2 (bet365)
Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears
- Kick-off time: Friday, 01:15 GMT
- TV: Sky Sports Main Event
- Spread: Seahawks -3.5 @ 10/11
- Total: Over 42.5 @ 10/11
Week 17 of the 2024 NFL season kicks off with the Seattle Seahawks travelling to Chicago to face the Bears.
The Seahawks were in contention for the NFC West, but a two-game slide has thrown a spanner in the works, making this matchup with the Bears a must win game. They did show promise against the Minnesota Vikings – one of the best teams in the NFL – in a 27-24 loss, a much better performance than the previous showing against the Packers.
Thankfully they now face the Chicago Bears, one of the worst teams in the league this season and on a nine-game losing streak. They’ve lost their last three by 20-plus points and are showing serious regression on both offence and defence.
The Bears rank 31st in the league in opponents yards per play allowed, and 31st in offensive yards produced per play. On top of this they allow the highest percentage of sacks per play in the entire NFL – this has been a long season for Chicago, and they desperately need to get their next head coach hire right.
For Seattle, one of their bright sparks has been young wideout JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA.
Last week he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career, and over his last seven games he’s averaged over 100 yards per game, with five touchdowns in that span. The Bears allow the 10th most passing yards per game to opposing NFL teams, and JSN has seen 24 targets in his last two games – he’s a target machine, in a plus matchup.
Another player to monitor is RB ZACH CHARBONNET.
Starting running back Kenneth Walker has struggled this season with injury and his production has been subpar. Plus, Walker had to exit the game last time out late in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.
In Walker’s absence in games he lost to injury, Charbonnet filled in admirably – scoring four touchdowns whilst averaging over 6.5 yards per carry. The Bears are allowing the second-most rushing yards to RBs this season, on top of the joint most touchdowns to the position. Keep an eye on Walkers’ injury status; this could be a big opportunity for Charbonnet.
The Seahawks being favoured by only 3.5 points is surprising – these are two teams moving in opposite directions, and the Bears are in coaching disarray right now since they fired Matt Eberflus and promoted QB coach Thomas Brown all the way to head coach. This should be business as usual for Seattle, who can cover a wider spread at plus-money.
CLICK HERE to back Seattle -5.5 with Sky Bet
Posted at 1845 GMT on 24/12/24
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