For 17 weeks out of the year, Mondays don’t suck. This is one of those Mondays.
This week the Seahawks travel to Chicago in a strong week 2 match up. Last week it looked like the Bears were going to coast to the win with a 17-0 lead going into halftime and superstar Aaron Rodgers getting carted to the locker room with an apparent knee injury. Well, the Bears learned that Aaron Rodgers is not a human as he came out firing on all cylinders and led an improbable comeback win against their division rivals with a final score of 24-23. In regards to the Bears, the defense looked very good despite allowing three passing touchdowns in the second half and missed out on some key opportunities. Khalil Mack showed why he is worth $141 million dollars with a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery, and interception for a touchdown in his first game as a Bear. His presence immediately makes this defense better and they got pressure on the quarterback all night.
For the Seahawks, the main key to this game will be getting the run game established to take some pressure off of Russell Wilson. Wilson was flushed out of the pocket and was forced to make plays way too often. Chicago ranked 12th in 2017 in quarterback pressures at a rate of 30.9% of all passing plays. It’s easy to assume that number will be closer to 40% this season with the addition of All-Pro Khalil Mack and standout rookie Smith.
It looks like there will be a running back committee for Seattle as Carson and Penny each had 7 rushes. One of them will have to step up and take pressure off of Wilson in order for them to win. Chris Carson had the better game with 51 yards but neither wound up in the end zone.
In the end I think that Russell Wilson has a solid bounce back game but it’s not enough against this tough defense. It will be a low scoring game but the Bears will come out on top by a field goal so I’m taking the Seahawks +4.5 and the Under at 42.5 for 1 unit plays each.
Side Note:
This Saturday was one of the best handicapping days in my career. I went 14-4 overall and 6-2 on my MattyLewMoneyline picks (1-1 on picks I posted on the site). Including a +12500 parlay (Thanks for paying rent).
To see all my picks, follow me @mattylewpicks or email me directly at mattylewpicks@gmail.com
