As oddsmakers see it, the 188th renewal of one of the NFL’s signature rivalries on Sunday night could be heavy on offensive fireworks.
Several Nevada sports books have set the total for Sunday’s Bears-Packers matchup in Green Bay as high as 53.5 points, per multiple line-monitoring websites. The total, or Over-Under, is a proposition requiring bettors to choose whether the game’s combined points will finish lower (under) or higher than (over) a projected number. The lower the total, the more the game is expected to be lower-scoring, and vice versa.
According to Spreadapedia, 53.5 would be the highest total for a Bears-Packers game since at least 1979, which is as far back as the database lists totals for the series. The previous high total was 51.5, which was set in the 2013 season finale, when the Packers pulled out a 33-28 victory in Chicago. With the combined point total of 61, the game went OVER, making those bets winners.
As a general rule, totals have started to inch higher in recent years. To wit: every total higher than 50 points in the Bears-Packers series has come in the last three seasons, per Spreadapedia. In short, it’s possible Sunday’s matchup could have the highest total in the history of the rivalry, which dates back to 1921.
For longtime Bears-Packers observers, the total probably says more about Chicago than Green Bay. Through nine weeks, the Bears were allowing the fourth-most points per game (27.8). However, the Chicago offense has some elite skill talent. These are both rather unusual occurrences for the Bears.
And that’s why Sunday night’s game at Lambeau Field has a total more befitting a game in one of those cushy domes. For the record, Weather.com projects temperatures around 30 on Sunday night.
