NFL Week 4 Picks: Chicago Bears vs. Dallas Cowboys

Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys
Monday, 10/1/12, 8:30 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Dallas -3
Current Betting Line: Dallas -3
Opening Total: 45
Current Total: 41.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Bears Packers NFC Championship Preview — The Chicago Bears are 7-2 SU on Monday Night Football under head coach Lovie Smith

Chicago bounced back from a dismal performance to pick up a 23-6 victory over the St. Louis Rams as seven-point home favorites, while winning the statistical battle by 114 yards. The Bears will need to protect quarterback Jay Cutler if they plan on improving their record to 8-2 under head coach Lovie Smith when being featured on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. “For us matchup-wise, the two outside linebackers are really good players,” commented Bears tight end Kellen Davis about the Cowboys pass rushers on the edge. Chicago is 6-6 ATS as a road underdog, while the “under” is 9-4 in that situation over the last two-plus years.

The Bears really need Cutler to become a consistent player under center, as he enjoyed a tremendous performance in his last game in this series, completing 21 of 29 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-20 win as seven-point road underdogs on Sept. 19, 2010. Chicago is hoping to have starting running back Matt Forte back in the fold, who was injured in the team’s 23-10 setback to the Green Bay Packers as five-point road underdogs in Week 2.

Dallas escaped with a 16-10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as nine-point home favorites last week, as the squad has failed in its two opportunities when laying points this year. The Cowboys have also struggled with offensive line play in the early going, which is a concern when matching up with the likes of Bears defensive end Julius Peppers. This will be the 20th regular-season meeting in this series, with America’s Team holding an 11-9 advantage. Dallas is 0-2 ATS in its last two games on Monday Night Football, which is important to note when making your pro football predictions.

The Cowboys will look to establish running back DeMarco Murray in the early going, as he’s combined for just 82 yards in the last two games, which is far different than the 131-yard total he finished with against the New York Giants in the NFL’s first game of the season. Quarterback Tony Romo was sacked four times and hit numerous times in last week’s game against the Buccaneers, as he looks to put together an encore to his 374-yard passing performance in the last meeting in this series.