NFL Odds – Patriots Travel To The Midway To Take On Surging Bears

NFL betting lines makers know that it will be a matchup of two of the best teams that each conference has to offer when the New England Patriots travel to Illinois to take on the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field this Sunday.

The Patriots are tied for the best record in the NFL at 10-2 following Monday night’s 45-3 blowout win over the New York Jets, but will face another tough test against a Bears’ team that has nine wins in 12 games, and has won five straight.

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New England Patriots @ Chicago Bears

Sunday December 12, 2010 – 4:15 PM ET

Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Broadcast: CBS

NFL Odds: Patriots -3, Bears +3

Total: 40.5

The Patriots have already taken down nearly all of the contenders in the AFC, with wins over the Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, and are within three wins of clinching the AFC East and home field advantage for the playoffs. However, the schedule won’t get any easier for New England, with a home date against the Green Bay Packers the following week, before consecutive divisional games to close the season.

NFL Odds: What The Patriots Will Have To Do To Win

Week in and week out, it comes down to No. 12 for New England. Quarterback Tom Brady has put together a season that has him as the leading candidate for this year’s MVP award, with 27 touchdown passes compared to just four interceptions. Brady has thrown for 17 scores and hasn’t turned the ball over once over the last seven games, with a 117.9 passer rating. The way that the three-time Super Bowl champion was able to pick apart the Jets’ defense was nothing short of incredible, and another performance like that will almost surely mean another victory. Lost in the win over New York was the performance of the defense, which consistently applied pressure to Jets’ quarterback Mark Sanchez and allowed just three points.

NFL Odds: What The Bears Will Have To Do To Win

The Bears will need to find a way to slow Brady. There is no stopping the man with the single season record for most touchdowns, but they will have to find a way to slow him by disrupting his timing with pressure. Chicago ranks second in the league defending the pass, and should have an easier time concentrating on Brady if they can force the Patriots’ offense to be more one-dimensional. Jay Cutler will need to play mistake-free football more than anything, as the Bears cannot afford to give the ball back to a dangerous New England offense. Chicago has scored 22 or more points in four of its five wins, and the offense may need to be even better to keep up with the Patriots.

NFL Odds: Outlook & Pick

The way that the Patriots have gotten to the top of the AFC is nothing short of impressive. It’s more than just their record, but the team’s they have beaten that makes New England’s run so impressive, and it won’t stop this week against a Bears’ team that has had the fortune of playing a relatively soft schedule during their climb to the top of the NFC betting.

NFL Odds Pick: Patriots -3