Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears - NFC Title Game

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Green Bay Packers(-3)
Game Total Line: (44)
(wagering lines available at 5Dimes)

Packers (12-6, 11-7 ATS) are coming off one of the most impressive playoff victories in recent memory-a 48-21 demolition of the No. 1-seeded Atlanta Falcons. Green Bay has won four consecutive games and is 4-1 ATS in its last five games.

Aaron Rodgers is, quite frankly, out of control. His line against Atlanta was unreal (31-36, 366 yards, three touchdowns, no picks, one rushing touchdown) and the star quarterback now has 10 touchdown passes, two touchdown runs and just one interception three career playoff games. Green Bay has averaged 38 points in those games. Rodgers' elusiveness in the pocket is an incredible weapon, as he broke free of the Falcons' rush countless times to make big plays. Whether or not the Packers can count on the running game remains to be seen. James Starks rushed for 123 yards against the Eagles two weeks ago, but had just 66 yards on 25 carries against Atlanta.

Rodgers and company get a ton of publicity, making it easy to forget Green Bay also fields one of the best defenses in the NFL. The Packers have a vicious pass rush; they racked up five sacks against Matt Ryan last Saturday. Green Bay also harassed Ryan into a pair of interceptions-one of which was returned for a game-changing score-after the quarterback threw just nine all season. The Packers are susceptible to the run. They held Michael Turner to just 39 yards on 10 carries, but their biggest weapon is building a big, early lead; then opponents must throw their way back into games.

Chicago (12-5, 10-6-1 ATS) has won three of its past four games after cruising past Seattle 35-24 last week. The Bears have covered their last four outings against the spread.

The game wasn't as close as the score might indicate. Chicago led 28-0 late in the third quarter, and the Seahawks added some meaningless garbage-time touchdowns in the final three minutes. Bears fans were relieved to see Jay Cutler play very well. He finished with 274 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Cutler will have to be sharper against Green Bay, though. He was just 15-28, and he had a few interceptions dropped by the Seahawks; the Packers won't make the same mistake. The Bears also feature a great running game between Matt Forte and Chester Taylor, though the backs are often forgotten in lieu of the passing attack. The biggest weakness is pass protection; the Bears allowed more sacks than anyone this season, and they were victimized for three more last Sunday.

The defense is unpredictable. The Bears allowed New York and New England to torch them late in the year, but club also shut down Green Bay and Seattle. Which "D" shows up is anybody's guess. Chicago is excellent against the run but has had some problems stopping the pass, ranking 20th in the NFL. The Bears will need to put some serious heat on Rodgers without blitzing, as he's one of the best at burning defenses that bring extra heat.

Chicago and Green Bay have split their last 10 games against each other, both straight up and against the spread. They split both games this season; Chicago won 20-17 in September, while Green Bay won 10-3 in December. The Bears covered both of them, however, ending a four-game winning streak for the Packers. Six straight games between these clubs have gone under the total. Bodog has set the total for Sunday's game at 44 points.

Point Spread Pick

Take the Bears +3 at 5Dimes on game day for reduced juice betting!