Even though they are pretty much out of the playoff race, the Chicago Bears have a chance to right the ship this weekend, as they take on the New York Giants at Soldier Field. Vegas sports books have been spotting the Giants a touchdown in this match-up, but here is why the Bears will not only win outright, but also win the spread.
4. Tight End Evan Engram is unlikely to play
Despite the Giants having a receiving core that features a former Pro Bowler (Golden Tate) and rising young talent (Darius Slayton), a case could be made that Engram is the No. 1 option in the passing game for the Giants.
If the third-year tight end had not been injured recently, he was making a strong case for himself as a Pro Bowl candidate. Through nine games this season, Engram has posted nearly 500 yards to go along with 10.6 yards per reception and three touchdowns.
Unfortunately for Giants fans, Engram has sat out of the entirety of practice multiple times this week, and looks unlikely to play. This will not only hault the Giants' passing attack, but helps a dominant Bears defense that has a murky track record with tight ends this season.
3. A bad offense will be facing a top-10 defense
The Chicago Bears franchise has thrived on the idea that “defense wins championships,” and while the Bears are not looking like a Super Bowl contender this season, their defense is still among the league's best.
The Bears defense ranks in the top-10 in many categories, including points per game (fourth), rushing yards allowed per game (eighth) passing yards allowed per game (10th), and total yards allowed per game (eighth).
On the flip side, the Giants offense has been below average this season, as they rank in 18th in the league or worse in all the categories listed above.
2. Quarterback Daniel Jones will turn the ball over a lot
While Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones has rightfully earned his “Danny Dimes” nickname due to leading a couple of late game comebacks, his main weakness as a quarterback seems to be that he turns the ball over a lot.
Giving the ball over 24 times this season, the Giants as a team have given the ball up more than every team except one in the league this season. Jones is one of the main causes of those turnovers, as he has thrown eight picks this season (ranked 10th among quarterbacks) while fumbling the ball more than any other player in the league.
The Monsters of the Midway will be coming after Jones with a fury, and with the Soldier Field crowd showering the rookie with boos, expect Jones to turn the ball over a few times in this matchup.
1. Mitchell Trubisky can have his best game of the season against a putrid Giants defense
Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has made those of us who took a sleeper bet for him to win MVP look foolish, as the third-year quarterback has been dealing with injuries and got benched in last Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
But if there was any game where Trubisky would get his swagger back, this would be the one. The Giants defense has been horrendous, as the 28.9 points per game they've allowed this season is the third worst in the league, and is part of the reason why they have lost their past six games.
With his home crowd behind him, expect to see Trubisky shred the Giants defense and gain some confidence back after last Sunday's loss. His defense should be able to get him the ball a lot too, since the Giants offense has had a problem giving up the ball all season.
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