Seattle Seahawks vs. Chicago Bears Pick on Monday Night Football

Seattle Seahawks (0-1 SU, 0-0-1 ATS) vs. Chicago Bears (0-1 SU, 1-0 ATS)
NFL Football Week 2
When: Monday September 17th, 2018. 8:15PM (EST)
Where: Soldier Field Chicago, I.L.
TV: ESPN
By: Jay Horne, College Football Handicapper, Predictem.com

Spread: SEA +3.5/CHI -3.5
Total: 43

Monday Night Football returns this week when the Seattle Seahawks travel to Soldier Field for a showdown with the Chicago Bears. Both the Seahawks and Bears are coming off disappointing close losses in week 1 and looking to right the ship. Statistically, only 10% of teams have made the playoffs over the last decade after starting the year 0-2 SU. Therefore while we have a long season ahead, there is some importance to avoiding the 0-2 hole. Unfortunately for Seahawks fans, I believe you may need to get the shovels ready!

When I look at this Monday Night’s matchup between the Seahawks and Bears, I see two football teams headed in different directions. Despite the 2nd half blunder last week to the Packers (O/U total pick | ATS Pick) , the Bears are exuding with upside. The Bears defense appears to be a force once again with newly acquired superstar Khalil Mack who showed out last week in the loss to the Packers. More importantly despite the complacent play calling in the 2nd half last week, Bears new Head Coach Matt Nagy proved that he is going to elevate the offense this season.

Seahawks Searching

The Bears showed a lot of promising signs with their new offense last week. Yes, Mitchell Trubisky will need to improve but overall the Bears were complex in their approach. They got their playmakers the ball and provided different looks to build on in the weeks ahead. The offense has a workhorse in running back Jordan Howard who also flexed his receiving skills. Nagy also flanked the elusive threat of running back Tarik Cohen into the receiver position on several instances to prove they will do whatever necessary to get the ball in their hands of their playmakers.

The difference with Seattle this week is that they do not have any playmakers. WR Doug Baldwin went down with a knee injury and will miss several weeks. The lack of running game had already forced this offense to lean heavily on quarterback Russell Wilson and now Wilson will be the entire offense. WR Tyler Lockett is probably in the biggest position to fill the void left by Baldwin. However the offensive line is terrible and Wilson appears that he is going to spend the majority of the season on the run if nothing changes. Wilson was sacked 6 times last week in the loss to the Denver Broncos and threw two interceptions in the 27-24 loss. He was consistently pressured and I don’t think the Seahawks offense can survive with their current play.

But Jay, what about Wilson’s 3 touchdown passes and nearly 300 yards passing? What about the mere 3 point loss on the road in Denver? I hear those arguments and admit that things do not look nearly as bad on the outside. However, I am speaking towards the intrinsic value of the Seahawks offense that is alarming. Last week, Seattle come up with multiple big plays that resulted in touchdowns. Both TE Will Dissly and WR Tyler Lockett come up with plus 50 yard touchdown receptions. However those big plays are not guaranteed on a weekly basis and if they fail to come up with those opportunities this week, the Seahawks will be in big trouble.

Bet the Bears -3.5

Aside from Seattle’s troubles, this is just a great spot for the Bears. They have the luxury of being on the big stage after a tough week 1 loss with a shot at redemption. They had enough success last week to build on that performance and the offense showed enough different looks to keep the Seahawks on their heels. If Trubisky can deliver another decent performance and avoid any sudden setbacks, the Bears should thrive with their help of their defense. I see the Bears defense stealing the show in this one and keeping Chicago’s offense in advantageous field position. Consider this one a strong play.

Jay’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: Take Chicago -3.5