When looking at the schedule for Week 12, one game stands out as a truly fascinating matchup. The Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers are both fighting to be at the top of their division. The teams are opposite, however, in philosophy and makeup.
The Steelers are a defensive-oriented team built around a hard-nosed old school coach in Mike Tomlin. The Chicago Bears have a high-powered offense and are led by a young, aggressive, offensive-minded coach, Ben Johnson.
When two opposite philosophies meet face to face, we’ll have one of the best Sunday morning football betting opportunities of the season.
Best Bets for Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Chicago Bears
The Pittsburgh Steelers put together one of their most complete performances of the season in a 34-12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals last week. However, they lost quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a left wrist injury during the game.
The Steelers have won two of their last three games and will need to keep winning in order to stay in first place on top of the AFC North. Can backup QB Mason Rudolph be effective for the Steelers this week?
The Chicago Bears are 7-1 over the last eight games, and their most recent miracle was a 19- 17 win over the Minnesota Vikings. The Bears have been riding the strength of their NFL-best turnover margin, which is +16. Considering our NFL betting picks, can the Bears’ turnover luck continue?
Sunday Morning Odds (Bears -2.5)
The Bears opened as 1.5-point favorites at home. However, the betting public has moved this line as high as three, but it is settled in at -2.5. This is also a reaction to the confirmation that Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will not play.
The total has also been affected by the Rodgers news. The total went from 45.5 down to 45. It will be interesting to see if the market continues to bet this through the key number of 44. A lower-scoring game would seem to favor the Steelers, and the under is slightly correlated to the Steelers’ side.
Sunday Morning Picks
The Steelers are built on defense. However, this year, the Steelers defense has let them down, averaging 376 yards allowed per game, which is 27th and the NFL. They have been vulnerable to the run this year, allowing 4.2 yards per attempt against the run. This is 19th in the league.
Meanwhile, the Bears are built around rushing the ball. Bears head coach Ben Johnson understands that he needs to have a consistent rushing attack to take pressure off his young, developing quarterback Caleb Williams.
The Bears are second in the league in rushing yards per game at 146.6. They are averaging 4.8 yards per attempt, which is 5th in the league. The Bears are also 6th in the league with 12 rushing touchdowns. Their strength in running the ball is going to eat up the Steelers’ lackluster run defense.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are 2-3 ATS on the road this year, while the Bears are 2-1 ATS as a favorite. The Bears will cover the 2.5-point spread.
NFL Pick: Bears +2.5 (-114) at Caesars
Bears’ Kyle Monangai (Anytime Touchdown)
Kyle Monangai has taken control of the Bears’ backfield with his ability to run inside the tackles, balance, and ability to break big plays. He has taken over as the Bears’ short-yardage and goal-line back.
He has scored a rushing touchdown in 3 of his last 5 games.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are near the bottom of the league in stopping the run. They are 28th in Rush EPA allowed. The Bears’ ability to run the ball against the Steelers’ defense will give them plenty of red-zone opportunities, where Kyle Monangai has shone.
Your Game Plan for Sunday Football Bets
Sunday gives us a high-profile interconference matchup, and we’ve broken down our top Sunday morning football bets:
- Bears -2.5
- Kyle Monangai Anytime Touchdown
Look for rushing yard props on both Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift when the lines are released.
When looking at the Week 12 games, the Steelers vs. Bears matchup offers clear edges. But as always, timing is everything when placing bets.
Include OddsTrader Turbo as One of Your Betting Tools
Stop guessing and start winning with OddsTrader Turbo. This is like having a personal assistant, available 24/7, for only a few dollars each month. Harness the power of artificial intelligence and let OddsTrader Turbo do all the heavy lifting as a bet analyzer tailored to your needs.
Below are just a few features:
- 5-star picks with a 73% accuracy rating
- Exclusive BetStation chatbot for expert advice, betting tips, and AI-powered insight
- Sportsbook syncing to keep track of all your bets across all your sportsbook accounts in one place
- Game alerts
- Real-time line movement updates
- 5 Star AI picks
Start a free 30-day trial and ask BetStation questions regarding the games mentioned above. It’s all right here at OddsTrader. If you try it once, you’ll never gamble again without it!
*21+ Seek help with a gambling addiction at 1-800-GAMBLER
*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.