With the Cubs and White Sox nowhere near World Series odds this year, Chicago fans have turned their attention to the Bears. Week 7 left an unpleasant taste in their mouths after Chicago was crushed by the Bengals. Can Chicago rebound against the Browns, or is there something more serious developing here?
Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears
Sunday, November 1 at 1:00 p.m. ET
NFL odds: Bears -13
Chicago was obliterated 45-10 by the Bengals last week. Former Bear castoff Cedric Benson enjoyed a monster game, rushing for 189 yards and a score on 37—exactly the kind of game Chicago needs Matt Forte to have. Forte is suffering through a miserable season; he's rushed for over 100 yards just once this season (against the Lions, no less) and has posted only 21 carries for 47 yards in the past two weeks. It's no surprise the Bears lost both those games. Quarterback Jay Cutler is struggling too, and has tossed five picks in his last two starts.
At least the Browns can't stop anybody. Green Bay rushed for 202 yards against Cleveland in Week 7, and the Browns are allowing 170 yards per game on the ground. They are second-last in the NFL in yards per attempt, giving up a gaudy 4.9 per pop. It's little wonder Cleveland is allowing a pitiful 25.6 points per game and burning bettors on sports picks.
At least Cleveland can rely on a solid offense to carry the team, right? Wrong. Very wrong. Quarterback Derek Anderson is in the midst of a historically bad season; he has two touchdowns, seven interceptions and a mind-numbing 40.6 passer rating. Anderson isn't totally blame—Cleveland is averaging just 97 yards per game on the ground—but it's inexplicably Brady Quinn hasn't been given another shot yet.
Sportsbook bettors are having a tough time gauging Chicago right now, but there's no trouble gauging Cleveland. The 1-5 Browns are a terrible, terrible football team. Chicago's defense is going to harass Anderson all day while Forte should be able to get the ball moving, at least a little bit, against the Browns' weak front. Bet on the Bears to crush Cleveland, cover the spread and get back in the win column on your NFL picks.
