Welcome to the Sunday Night Showdown Slate for NFL Week 12!

Old school football on the docket tonight as the Chicago Bears head north to Green Bay to take on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. It’s going to be cold and there’s a bit of wind, but no snow or rain in the forecast, so we should see both teams open up their offenses.

Mitchell Trubisky makes his return to the field for Chicago and he’ll be joined by David Montgomery who has been out with a concussion. On the other side, the Packers will have Allen Lazard return which couldn’t come at a better time with Marquez Valdes-Scantling dealing with an Achilles issue.

Before we start, please allow me to reiterate that while we all love having a little skin in the game, these showdown slates are basically lottery tickets. Sure, there are times when the chalk hits and everyone shares in the prizes, but more often than not, you need that random, differentiate yourself from the herd dart-throw to hit in order to claim that top prize. As a result, we encourage to play responsibly. Stick to the GPP contests (single-entry preferred), don’t blow your whole bankroll and understand that, unless you are a max-entry player, you should prioritize having fun.

OK, lecture over. Let’s get to tonight’s action.

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers

Spread: Packers -9.5

O/U: 44

Betting Facts:

Money Line: Packers -435; Bears +360

Chicago is 5-14 against the spread (ATS) in its last 19 games against Green Bay.

The total has hit the under in six of Chicago's last seven games.

Green Bay is 2-4 ATS in its last six games.

Green Bay is 9-1 straight up in its last 10 home games.

Weather: Low 30’s, mostly cloudy but no precipitation; winds NNW 13mph

Last 5 Match-Ups:

Packers led series 4-1

Average Margin of Victory – 6.0

Last Match-Up – Packers beat the Bears 21-13 in Green Bay on 12/15/2019

Notable Injuries:

Packers:

Bears:

Defensive Rankings (Using DVOA):

Packers:

vs Pass: 19th

vs Run: 20th    

Bears:

vs Pass: 3rd   

vs Run: 3rd  

MVP/Captain

Aaron Rodgers , QB GB – He is averaging 242 passing yards and two touchdowns per game in his career against the Bears. Those are definitely numbers you can get behind over a 23-game sample size. Yes, the Bears defense has firmed up in recent seasons, but Rodgers is playing at another level this year.

Davante Adams , WR, GB – He’s Rodgers No. 1 target and no one else comes close. Yes, the Bears will try to scheme against him, but containing Adams is not an easy task. He’ll enjoy a performance so strong, you’ll start to feel bad for Bears DB Jaylon Johnson.

Allen Robinson , WR CHI – I expect the Packers to grab a lead in this one and Matt Nagy does into his usual panic mode and demands Trubisky throw the ball heavily. Well, when that happens, Robinson is easily the biggest beneficiary. He’ll battle with Jaire Alexander , but ARob should come out on top.

Mid-Tier

Mitchell Trubisky , QB CHI – Welcome back, Mitch! It’s been too long, especially with that tomato can Nick Foles under center. Expectations don’t need to be high here, but it’s always helpful getting in a QB when his coach mandates the team abandon the run. Happens all the time.

Aaron Jones , RB GB – While I don’t expect a whole lot of yardage from Jones against the Bears defense, I do think he can find his way into the end zone. If you can find some salary-savers, then squeezing in Jones price tag shouldn’t be too tough.

Bears D/ST – The Bears defense has 21 sacks and six interceptions on the season and usually get themselves amped up for this match-up against the Packers. These games in recent years have not been blow-outs at all, so expect the Bears defense to get the job done and get you some points.

Dart Throws

Darnell Mooney, WR CHI – While Jaire Alexander and Allen Robinson do battle, expect the Bears to pivot to Mooney on certain pass plays as he battles with a banged-up Kevin King . The numbers may not be huge, but he should see some nice catch totals.

Allen Lazard , WR GB – With MVS battling an Achilles issue, we’re looking at Lazard as a nice pivot. Valdes-Scantling might still play, but that actually boosts Lazard because, if he’s working out of the slot at all, that puts him opposite Buster Skrine and you all know how much we love that match-up.

Robert Tonyan , TE GB – The Bears rank 21st in DVOA against the tight end position and Tonyan should be in a good spot with the rest of the receiving corps uncertainty. It should be a low-budget enough play to get some bigger names into your lineup.