Falcons at Bears NFL Betting Odds & Game Info for Week 1

I remember seeing an interview with Dan Marino a few years ago where he spoke about going to the Super Bowl and losing in his first season. At that time, he believed he would have plenty of other chances to get a ring, but the Dolphins never did get back there. Getting to the Super Bowl once is no guarantee that you are going to do it again, which is what the Atlanta Falcons are going to be thinking about right now, especially when you consider the manner in which they lost to the Patriots in the big game. But the betting odds for Super Bowl LII say otherwise for the Falcons. And right now, the NFL betting odds favor Atlanta to win this one. They will almost certainly be thinking about the Carolina Panthers, their division rivals, who went to the Super Bowl the previous year and then followed that up with a disastrous season in 2016. The Falcons are loaded on offense, and after their collapse in the Super Bowl, now have a new defensive coach pulling the strings in hopes of making another run. Their season begins this Sunday with a trip to Chicago to face a Bears team that is in full rebuilding mode. This is a game that the Falcons should certainly be able to win, and come into this game as a 7-point road favorite. Will Atlanta win and cover, or will the Bears be able to pull off a shock win in Week 1 of the NFL season? Let’s take a closer look.

Falcons at Bears NFL Betting Odds & Game Info for Week 1

When: Sunday, September 10 at 1 PM EST Where: New Era Field, Buffalo TV: CBS Radio: 92.9 The Game (Atlanta) / WCFS-FM 105.9 FM (Chicago) Live Stream: NFL Game Pass NFL Betting Odds: Atlanta Falcons -6½ (-115) Weather Forecast

• Clear: 20°C/68°F
• Humidity: 40%
• Precipitation: 0%
• Cloud Cover: 0%
• Wind: 10 mph ESE
• Stadium Type: Open

Why Bet on the Atlanta Falcons at -6½?

In professional sports, it’s never really a good idea to look in the rearview and dwell on what just happened, but you can bet that the Falcons spent a large portion of the offseason going over that Super Bowl loss to the Patriots in their heads. The question now is whether they can forget about the collapse and get on with the business of football this season, or whether they are going to be constantly second-guessing everything they do. An opening week game against the rebuilding Bears would certainly appear to be a good way to start the season, but let’s not forget that the Falcons have lost their last two meetings with Chicago, although the last of those games came in 2014. Atlanta have been the road warriors of late, going 7-2 SU in their last 9 road games, and also 8-1 ATS in that period. The struggle has been real against the Bears, though, as they have only won 3 of 13 against Chicago, and are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 meetings with them.

Team Statistics

• Offensive total yards 416.42
• Current Offensive rush yards 117.47
• Offensive passing yards 298.95
• Average Score For 34.11
• Defensive total yards 376.84
• Current Defensive rush yards 104.11
• Defensive passing yards 272.74
• Average Score Against 25.32

Baltimore at Cincinnati NFL Odds & Betting Prediction for Week 1

Why Bet on the Chicago Bears at +6½?

Perhaps the most important part of any rebuilding operation in the NFL is securing the services of a franchise QB via the draft. The Bears believe they have their man, although Mitch Trubisky will not start this weekend. The young QB jumped ahead of Mark Sanchez on the depth chart, and will now be the back-up to Mike Glennon. If things go as poorly for the Bears this season as we expect, how long do you think their top draft pick will be holding that clipboard? There really is only one direction that the Bears can head in after a 3-13 season last year, but the climb back to respectability is likely to be a slow one. Much is going to hinge on how quickly Trubisky adapts to life in the NFL, and I would not be surprised to see him get some time on the field this weekend. The Bears went 7-8-1 ATS last season.

Team Statistics

• Offensive total yards 356.50
• Current Offensive rush yards 108.12
• Offensive passing yards 248.38
• Average Score For 17.44
• Defensive total yards 346.88
• Current Defensive rush yards 122.00
• Defensive passing yards 224.88
• Average Score Against 24.94

Expert NFL Betting Odds Pick and Final Score Prediction

I don’t know why, but this one makes me a little nervous. It’s easy to say that the Falcons inability to beat the Bears came at a time when both franchises were in very different places, but there are just always some teams that the good ones struggle against. That said, I have to be realistic and take the Falcons to win and cover. I also like the OVER here, especially when you consider that the Falcons last 9 games have gone that route. NFL Betting Odds Pick: Atlanta Falcons 33 Chicago Bears 17