Packers at Bears: TV, Odds, History, Recent Meetings, Trends
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers are back from their bye week and will visit the rival Chicago Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field.
Green Bay is 6-3 and leads the race for the final playoff spot in the NFC by one game. Chicago is 4-5 with three consecutive losses following its bye.
Once upon a time, the Bears dominated the series. Not anymore. Green Bay has won 10 in a row, outscoring the Bears by 127 points while owning a plus-16 turnover differential. In its five consecutive wins at Chicago, the Packers have not allowed more than 20 points.
What Channel for Packers at Bears?
TV: The game will be on Fox, with play-by-play Kevin Burkhardt alongside analyst Tom Brady and sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi.
Is the game on TV where you live?: 506 Sports' broadcast map will show you if the game will be televised where you live.
Radio: Here’s the list of Packers Radio Network stations, featuring Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren on the call. You also can listen to their call on Sirius channels 139 or 384.
Sports USA will have the national broadcast with Larry Kahn (play-by-play) and Mark Carrier (analyst).
Packers-Bears: What You Need to Know
Records: The Packers are 6-3 and the Bears are 4-5.
Where: Soldier Field.
Date and time: Sunday at noon.
Coaches: Green Bay – Matt LaFleur (62-30, sixth season). Chicago – Matt Eberflus (14-29, third season).
Weather: Sunday’s forecast calls for a high of 59 with a 24 percent chance of showers and southwest winds around 14 mph, according to Weather.com.
Tickets: Let SI Tickets get you into the game without any additional fees. Tickets start at $267.
The line: The Packers are six-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook with an over/under of 40.5. At FanDuel Sportsbook, the Packers are 5.5-point favorites.
Power rankings: In Packers On SI’s Consensus NFL Power Rankings, the Packers come in at ninth this week. Chicago, after three consecutive losses, is nowhere near the Top 10.
Packers-Bears: Six-Pack of Notes
One: The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears will face off for the 209th time on Sunday, including their 207th regular-season showdown.
This iconic rivalry stretches back more than a century, with Chicago winning 20-0 on Nov. 27, 1921, but recent history has heavily favored the Packers. Since 2019, Green Bay has defeated Chicago in 10 consecutive games, the longest active winning streak in the NFL against a single team.
The Bears last tasted victory over the Packers in 2018, when they had a 24-17 win led by Mitchell Trubisky, who threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns. However, that win stands alone in recent memory, with the Bears posting just one victory in their last 16 matchups with Green Bay dating to 2016.
Green Bay has won five in a row and 13 of its last 14 in Chicago. That includes last year, when Jordan Love won his first start as the Packers’ full-time QB1. In a 38-20 rout, Love was 15-of-27 passing for 245 yards and three touchdowns, good for a rating of 123.2.
Two: The Bears held the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft but traded it to the Carolina Panthers. One of the picks they acquired in return ended up as this year’s No. 1 overall selection. With that pick, Chicago selected Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams from USC, who was touted as one of the most promising quarterback prospects the league has ever seen.
Williams has shown flashes of that potential, ranking third among rookies in passing yards (1,785), fourth in completion percentage (60.5 percent), tied for second in touchdowns (nine) and tied for third in interceptions (five).
Chicago’s three-game slump corresponds with Williams’ three-game slump. After throwing seven touchdowns vs. one interception with a second-ranked passer rating of 122.8 during Chicago’s three-game winning streak, his passer rating is a second-to-last 64.7 during its three-game losing streak.
Three: The Bears on Tuesday fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who they hired this year with high hopes of sparking their talented offense. Initially, the team felt Waldron's approach would be the perfect fit, but results have fallen short of expectations with a streak of 23 consecutive possessions without a touchdown.
The Bears rank 24th in points per game (19.4), 30th in yards per game (277.7), 31st in yards per play (4.3) and 31st in third-down conversion rate (28.7 percent). Thomas Brown, whose Panthers offense shredded the Packers last year, has taken over as offensive coordinator, looking to breathe new life into a struggling unit.
Four: After suffering a groin injury at Jacksonville and struggling against Detroit, Love had the bye week to rest and recover.
In a key loss to the Lions, he completed 23-of-39 passes for 273 yards with one critical interception that was returned for a touchdown. There were moments when it was clear he wasn’t at his best; his body language and movement showed his physical limitations.
Although the rainy conditions could’ve been an excuse, the Lions seemed unaffected, handling the weather just fine. The timing of the bye week couldn’t have been better for Love, giving him a much-needed chance to heal up before facing another big divisional rival.
Five: The Packers will aim to exploit the Bears’ vulnerable offensive line and capitalize on Caleb Williams’ tendency to hold onto the ball for extended periods.
Chicago’s offensive line has struggled all season, allowing 38 sacks, the second-most in the NFL. In their last outing against the New England Patriots, these issues were on full display, as Williams was sacked nine times.
While some of these sacks are due to protection breakdowns, Williams’ inexperience has played a role, as well. As a young quarterback adjusting to the NFL’s faster pace, he occasionally holds the ball for 4 to 5 seconds, waiting for plays to develop. This can lead to self-inflicted pressure that doesn’t fall entirely on the offensive line. The Packers’ struggling pass rush will look to take advantage by applying pressure early and forcing quick decisions from Williams to disrupt his rhythm.
Six: The Packers’ offensive line has been one of the best in the league at protecting the quarterback this season, allowing a league-best 12 sacks. However, there’s a noticeable split between their home and road performances. At Lambeau Field, the Packers have given up four sacks. On the road, that number doubles to eight.
This week, they’ll face a tough test against the Bears’ defensive line, which ranks fifth in the league with a pass-rush win rate of 47 percent, according to ESPN. The Packers' offensive line will need to maintain its strength under pressure to keep their quarterback clean and allow the offense to find its rhythm. The battle up front will be crucial in deciding who gains the upper hand in this rivalry matchup.
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