SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS VS. CHICAGO BEARS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — December 8, 2024

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS VS. CHICAGO BEARS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — December 8, 2024 — Greetings, football fans. Welcome back to our NFL coverage here at Godzilla Wins. One of the games on tap from Sunday’s slate features the San Francisco 49ers (5-7 SU, 4-8 ATS) hosting the Chicago Bears (4-8 SU, 6-4-2 ATS).

Here is a look at which squad has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Kickoff

When: Sunday, December 8, 2024 @ 4:25 PM ET

Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA

TV: FOX

San Francisco 49ers vs. Chicago Bears Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

San Francisco 49ers vs. Chicago Bears — In-Season Stats & Betting Trends

Thanks in part to injuries, the defending conference champion 49ers have struggled this season. San Francisco dropped its last three games after a 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in early November. This includes a disappointing 35-10 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills in Week 13. It was the second straight game in which they were beaten by a 20-plus point margin. After losing Brandon Aiyuk and Javon Hargrave to season-ending injuries, Christian McCaffrey sustained a knee injury that will keep him out for the remainder of the season.

“It feels dark and gloomy and absolutely depressing, honestly I’ll feel that probably in a couple hours,” tight end George Kittle said after the game. “The only way to make this feel better is to go take advantage of next week and try to get a win.”

Despite being decimated by injuries, a victory over an opponent with its fair share of issues is feasible.

On the other side of this matchup, the Bears have dropped six straight games after heading into their bye week with a 4-2 record, which seems like a lifetime ago. In last week’s 23-20 loss against the Detroit Lions, Chicago trailed 23-7 after three quarters but battled back, trimming the deficit to 23-20. But with an opportunity to at least tie the game in the final moments, the coaching staff inexplicably opted not to use its final timeout.

The result was another disappointing loss in what was a very winnable game. And for the first time in franchise history, the team made an in-season coaching change, replacing Matt Eberflus with Thomas Brown, who was recently promoted to offensive coordinator.

Can the 49ers overcome an injury-plagued roster to end its three-game skid? Will the Bears finally get back into the win column with a different head coach leading the way? Now that we have set the stage for this NFC showdown, let’s examine the betting trends for both teams.

Hey, make sure you check out our picks on the GW Daily Picks page.

49ers vs. Bears Spread Analysis

San Francisco opened as a six-point favorite. However, at the time of this writing, the line has moved to three points (per OddsShark.com). Here’s a look at how the teams have performed against the spread.

• The 49ers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games.
• San Francisco is just 3-10 ATS in its previous 13 home contests.
• The Niners have covered the spread eight times in their last 10 home matchups against Chicago.
• Meanwhile, the Bears are 2-3-1 ATS in their last six outings.
• Chicago has covered the spread at a 33.3 percent success rate (7-14) in its previous 21 matchups against San Francisco.
• The Bears are  4-1 ATS in their last five games against NFC West opponents.

Prediction: San Francisco 49ers (-3)

49ers vs. Bears Over/Under Prediction

The projected scoring total for this matchup is 43.5 points (via OddsShark.com). Here’s why going with “under” is the smart choice.

• The total has gone UNDER nine times in the 49ers’ last  11 Week 14 contests.
• The UNDER total is 5-2 in San Francisco’s previous seven games against NFC  North opponents.
• In the Bears’ last six outings, the UNDER total has prevailed five times.
• The UNDER total is a perfect 5-0 in Chicago’s previous five road games.

Prediction: UNDER 43.5 points

49ers vs. Bears Player Prop Bet

Niners quarterback Brock Purdy is the key player to watch for the home team in this matchup. He currently has -115 odds of exceeding 229.5 passing yards and -115 odds of finishing with less than 229.5 yards (via DraftKings). Let’s see how his numbers stack up against the projected yards total.

• During the season, Purdy is averaging 246.1 yards per game.
• Purdy has suited up in six home games this season. In those contests, he averages 232.3 yards per outing.
• In seven matchups against NFC teams this season, Purdy is averaging 268.9 yards per game.
• Purdy has averaged 216.5 yards per outing across his last four starts, exceeding the projected yards total for this matchup three times during that stretch.

Prediction: Brock Purdy OVER 229.5 passing yards