Arizona Cardinals vs Chicago Bears Pick and Preview

Posted on December 22, 2023

NFC Conference Matchup

Point Spread: Bears -4 | Total Points: 43

Coming into this week’s NFC matchup vs the Bears, the Cardinals have a below .500 record at 3-11. After dropping their last game by a score of 45-29 to the 49ers, they are looking to bounce back with a win this week. In addition to their 16-point loss, the Cardinals also suffered a setback in their ATS record. They were 11-point underdogs at the start of the game. With a set over/under line of 47 points, the game concluded with a combined total of 74 points, surpassing the betting line.

So far this season, the Bears have put together a record of 5-9. Last week, the Bears traveled to take on the Browns in week 15 and fell by a score of 20-17. In addition to their 3-point loss, the Bears also lost vs. the spread. They were 2.5-point underdogs heading into the game. In their most recent game, the over/under line was 37.5 points. By combining for 37 points, the under hit.

Arizona Cardinals vs Chicago Bears History

In the last three games that the Bears have hosted the Cardinals, they are a perfect 3-0. Looking back over the previous three times that the Cardinals and Bears have faced off, they have combined to average 51 points per game and have an over/under record of 2-1.

Through their last five road games, Arizona has an ATS record of just 2-3. However, their overall record was 1-4 while averaging 11 points per game.
When looking at their past five home matchups, Chicago has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 17 per game. The team went 1-4 overall in these games.
Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Cardinals have a straight-up record of 2-8. But, their mark vs the spread was just 4-6.
Going back to their previous three games as the favorite, Chicago has an ATS mark of 0-2-1 while going 1-2 straight up.

Notable Injuries

Arizona Cardinals

Geoff Swaim – Calf (Out)
Pat Elflein – Hip (Out)
Marlon Mack – Achilles (Out)
Carlos Watkins – Bicep (Out)
Kyzir White – Biceps (Out)
Rashad Fenton – Undisclosed (Out)
L.J. Collier – Bicep (Out)
Marquise Brown – Heel (Questionable)
Leki Fotu – Hand (Out)
Bobby Price – Quad (Questionable)
Hayden Howerton – Undisclosed (Out)
Jon Gaines II – Knee (Out)
Matt Hembrough – Back (Out)
Josh Woods – Undisclosed (Out)
Greg Dortch – Shoulder (Questionable)
Victor Dimukeje – Foot (Questionable)
Garrett Williams – Knee (Questionable)
Antonio Hamilton Sr. – Calf (Questionable)
Andre Chachere – Shoulder (Questionable)
Kevin Strong – Knee (Questionable)

Chicago Bears

D’Onta Foreman – Personal (Questionable)
Cole Kmet – Quad (Questionable)
Noah Sewell – Knee (Questionable)
Travis Homer – Hamstring (Questionable)
DeMarcus Walker – Leg (Probable)
Darnell Mooney – Illness (Probable)
Jaylon Jones – Calf (Questionable)
Teven Jenkins – Concussion (Questionable)
Equanimeous St. Brown – Pectoral (Questionable)
Yannick Ngakoue – Ankle (Out)

Keys To Victory: Arizona Cardinals

If the Cardinals are going to pull off the win as the underdog, they will be looking for a big game out of quarterback Kyler Murray and the league’s 23rd-ranked scoring offense. For the season, Murray is averaging 215 passing yards per game through the air. This figure has him sitting 35th among quarterbacks. Murray comes in with a passer rating of 78.4 and is averaging 10.2 yards per completion. Against the Bears, the team will look to get receiver Trey McBride involved in the passing game. This year, he is averaging 6.1 targets per game, leading to an overall receiving yards total of 712. On the ground, the Cardinals have carried the ball an average of 26.6 times per game and currently rank 7th in rushing yards. Their average rushing yards per attempt is 4.9.

Keys To Victory: Chicago Bears

For this season, the Chicago offense has an average of 20.5 points per game, placing them at 20th in the league. Chicago comes into the game, struggling to move the ball through the air. For the season, they have a completion percentage of just 62.8% and are ranked 16th in yards per game. Per attempt, the Bears are averaging 4.3 yards while carrying the ball an average of 30.9 times per contest. In terms of yardage, they are 5th in the league.

Betting Trends

In their last five games away from home, the Cardinals have a straight-up record of 1-4 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 11 points per game in this stretch.
When looking at their past three home matchups, Chicago has an ATS record of 2-1 while averaging 18 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Arizona has an ATS mark of 4-6 while going 2-8 straight up.
Going back to their previous three games as the favorite, Chicago has an ATS mark of 0-2-1 while going 1-2 straight up.