Bears vs. Steelers: MNF Week 9 betting odds, preview, and pick

Week 9 of the NFL season concludes on Monday night with a matchup between two of football’s most storied franchises, as the Chicago Bears visit the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Bears are fresh off their third straight double-digit loss, while the Steelers have won three in a row, including a road victory over the division-rival Cleveland Browns last week.

Not surprisingly, the Steelers are sitting as considerable favorites in the wagering, but should bettors be so quick to lay the points? Let’s dig into the matchup and find out.

Chicago Bears (3-5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3), 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

Fields of nightmares

Chicago rookie quarterback Justin Fields is having a rough time under center, as his team has been outscored 95-39 during its current three-game losing streak. He has a lot to do with this bad run, going 57-for-86 (66.3%) for 177.7 yards per game, with two touchdowns and five interceptions.

Fields has also been sacked four times each over the last three games, as he’s currently taking snaps behind the worst offensive line in the NFL (30 sacks allowed). Bettors may recall the nine-sack game Fields endured against Myles Garrett and the Browns’ swarming pass rush in Week 3.

Unfortunately for Fields, the Steelers boast 19 sacks on the season, good for 10th in the league. Linebacker T.J. Watt sports 3.5 sacks in his last two games alone.

Running back Khalil Herbert has been the lone bright spot on the Bears’ offense during this skid, averaging nearly 90 rushing yards per game. Still, he’s found the end zone just once in that span, and Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed only two rushing touchdowns all year (second in the NFL).

Ben’s been better, Najee is nifty

Steelers signal caller Ben Roethlisberger has improved his statline noticeably over the last three weeks, going 66-for-99 (66.7%) through the air with four touchdowns and no interceptions, and an average of 249.3 yards per game. He’s been sacked just four times in that span. 

Halfback Najee Harris has been dynamic in this stretch too, averaging 98 rushing yards and 31.7 receiving yards per game with three total touchdowns.

The Steelers’ offense as a whole won’t “wow” anyone, as they’ve scored a modest 21.7 points per game during their three-game win streak, but they have the luxury of playing Chicago’s 22nd-rated scoring defense (24.4 points allowed per game) this Monday night.

Bears vs. Steelers injury report

Bears and Steelers betting trends

• The Bears are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games as an underdog
• The Steelers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games played in November
• The Under is 6-1 in the Bears’ last seven games overall
• The Under is 37-14-1 in the Steelers’ last 52 games against teams with a losing record

The verdict

The Steelers have been involved in some ugly games this year, and this one could be more of the same. Expect their defense to torment Fields all night long as they beat the Bears at Heinz Field.

Score prediction: Steelers 23, Bears 13

NFL pick: Steelers -6