Your offshore sportsbook has the Giants as a 2.5-point underdog when they head to Soldier Field on Saturday night, and they haven't beaten the Bears in Chicago in four straight trips to the "Windy City". However, with the Bears' new quarterback getting used to his receivers, this looks like the best time to halt the slide.
Giants vs Bears Odds - Saturday, August 22, 8:00 PM ET
The Giants beat Carolina 24-17 in the most exciting game of the first full week of preseason, as they lost a 12-point halftime lead, but won on a Tommie Hill fumble return with no time left on the clock. New York also showed that they were willing to continue to be a running team, racking up 139 yards on the ground on 4.3 yards per carry. They also forced five turnovers, four of which were fumbles coming off quarterback sacks. Any team with a pair of defensive ends like Justin Tuck and a healthy Osi Umenyiora will be among the top NFL picks because of their ability to pressure the opposing pivot.
Jay Cutler didn't have a great beginning to his Chicago era, going 5-of-10 for 64 yards and a pick in a 27-20 loss to Buffalo, partly because of below-par receivers, but mostly because he made some bad throws. It's going to take time for Cutler to get a rhythm with his new receivers, but it was only the first game, so Chicago fans shouldn't be worried. The three quarterbacks that played combined for four picks, with three coming from Brett Basanez.
The NFL betting line favors Chicago, and the fans will be eager to see Cutler make his home debut. But if the Giants' defense plays the way they did against Carolina, he's in for a long night. The Giants swarm from the ends, and the secondary is underrated. Cutler is still working out the kinks in learning the new system, and it could prove to be a steeper curve than people expected, especially with the group of receivers he's dealing with. Take the Giants to end their problems in Chicago in a betting software
upset.
