Week 7 NFL Pick ‘Em Game of the Week: Chicago Bears at Washington Redskins

Bears – Redskins
Time: 1 PM ET, Oct 20, 2013
Spread: EVEN
M/L: n/a
O/U: 49.5

Betting Odds Courtesy of 5dimes

The Washington Redskins are just 1-4 on the season, but the team has one good thing going for it: No one in the NFC East is getting it done, with all teams under .500. The Redskins have at least a promising offense, one which ranks 4th in the league in yardage per game. The problem is that the Redskins aren’t getting in the end zone, ranking just 20th in scoring and the defense hasn’t been getting it done on a tune to produce victory, allowing 28.6 points per game.

The Redskins special teams have been poor, too. The Redskins are last in the league in punt coverage and third-to-last in kickoff coverage. Turnovers have also been a problem and Robert Griffin III had turnovers on back-to-back possessions in the loss to the Dallas Cowboys. It would seem that the Redskins five-game win streak with the Chicago Bears would come to an end, but NFL oddsmakers at 5dimes have called the line EVEN in this one, apparently predicting Washington to right the ship that has been astray over the course of this season.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan told ESPN “In order to beat a team like Chicago, you’ve got to take it a day at a time and just concentrate on that football team.”

The 4-2 Bears certainly have no reasons to get ahead of themselves. Jay Cutler has had his own problems with turnovers, though he has been good over the last two weeks. Cutler threw four TDs and no interceptions last week in the victory over the New York Giants, so the Bears are hoping for a repeat performance against a Redskins defense that isn’t that imposing.

The Bears have done a good job balancing their offense and rank 13th in the NFL in passing yards and 17th in rushing yardage.

Matt Forte has been the good all-purpose back the Bears counted on, and has rushed 442 yards on the season with three TDs. Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett and Forte have combined to form an effective quartet of passers for Cutler, and the Bears offense is perhaps a little more potent than anticipated prior to this season. Bennett is nursing a knee injury and did not practice but is expected to be ready for the game.