By james art 
It’s an NFC battle between two playoff contenders when the Bears head to Glendale to face the Cardinals on Sunday. Chicago (4-3 SU, 4-2-1 ATS) suffered a heartbreaking, last-second 18-15 loss to Washington last weekend. Arizona (4-4 SU, 5-3 ATS) beat Miami 28-27 last weekend for its second straight win. We’ll break down both sides for you and provide you with Bears vs. Cardinals predictions so you can sit back comfortably for the 4:05 EST kickoff from State Farm Stadium.
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The Bears saw their winning streak snap in a last-second loss
On the brink of a fourth straight victory, tragedy struck when the Bears’ defense suffered a catastrophic failure and allowed Washington to pick up a 52-yard Hail Mary on the final play of the game. Chicago’s defense gave up 481 yards and 23 first downs in the loss and failed to force a single turnover. The Bears defense is fourth in the league this season, allowing just 17 points per game, and its 319 yards per game has led to an 11th in the league. He is tied for ninth on the team with seven interceptions and tied for 13th with 20 sacks. Tremaine Edwards had a team-high 10 tackles in the loss at Washington. He has 44 tackles this season, tied for second on the team, one sack and one interception.
Chicago’s offense got off to a slow start last weekend and failed to score in the first half of the game before a pair of second half touchdowns propelled them to the win. The team had 307 yards of offense on the day, led by a rushing attack that produced 202 yards and two TDs. The Bears are in 27th placeth in the league with 302.3 yards per game, with a 23.3 points per game average, which ranks 15thth in general. D’Andre Swift had his season best last weekend, rushing for a season-high 129 carries and a touchdown on 18 carries. His team-best 434 yards were 20th the best in the NFL and he has found the end zone four times. Swift also had 19 carries, fourth most on the team, for 193 yards.
Injury Report: OL Kiran Amegadjie (calf) DNP, DB Jaquan Brisker (concussion) DNP, DB Kyler Gordon (hamstring) DNP, OL Braxton Jones (knee) DNP, TE Mercedes Lewis (NIR) DNP, DL Montez Sweat (shin) limited, OL Ryan Bates (shoulder) limited, OL Teven Jenkins (knee) DNP, OL Larry Borom (ankle) full
After a brutal start, the Cardinals are back in business
After a 1-3 SU start to the season, the Cardinals have pulled a complete 180, winning three of their last four games, all by two points or less. In Miami last weekend, they managed to score 21 points in the second half to overcome a six-point halftime deficit. Arizona’s offense produced 389 yards and 22 first downs while going 7-13 on third down chances. The team is averaging 338.5 yards per game this season, 12th in the NFL, and they score 22.3 points per game, 18th in general. Kyler Murray enjoyed his best passing game of the season in the win over Miami, reaching season highs with 26 completions and 307 yards. The Cardinals QB hasn’t been sacked in the last three games and his 344 yards are third among defensive backs.
“We like him,” Murray said, via ESPN.com. “I want the ball in my hands. I want the ball in our hands. With the guys we have on offense, as long as we stick to the schedule and execute, I think we can be one of the best offense in the league. “
Arizona’s defense certainly didn’t stand out in last week’s win, allowing Miami to score in every quarter as well as gain 22 first downs and 377 yards of offense. The Cardinals have allowed 25.6 points per game this season, 24th in the NFL and 376.5 yards per game, 27thth in the league. The team recorded 15 sacks and five interceptions this season. Safety Budda Baker is fifth in the league with a team-high 79 tackles. Linebacker Kizzir White is also in the top 20, sitting in a tie for 16thth most with 62 tackles.
Injury Report: OL Kelvin Beachem (groin) limited, DL Darius Robinson (calf) DNP, DL Naquan Jones (thigh) limited, DL Roy Lopez (ankle) limited, OL Jonah Williams (knee) limited
Best bets
A full game side bet
rating:
These two met last season with Chicago taking a 27-16 win as +4 underdogs at home. Both sides have been successful ATS this season overall, but Arizona is 2-2 ATS at home and Chicago is 0-2-1 ATS on the road. The Bears are coming off a brutal blowout last weekend, so it will be very interesting to see how they respond. The week leading up to this game included some questions about the team’s confidence in its coaching staff, so there could be some internal strife within the group as well. The Cardinals, on the other hand, have found a nice winning formula lately. Their defense isn’t dominant, but they’ve done just enough to allow the offense a chance to stay close and make a late splash. That proved to be a dangerous combination as long as the defense was in control, unlike in their 34-13 loss to Green Bay. Chicago’s offense should be manageable for the home team, and Murray is becoming a better field general every time this team wins games. Arizona is 5-2 ATS in its last seven meetings with Chicago.
Take the Cardinals.
Prediction: Arizona -1
Complete selection of the entire game
rating:
The total from last year’s meeting was 43 points, which just cleared the total of 42.5 points for the over. Both teams are in the middle of the pack in terms of offensive output in the league. Chicago is young and has shown great promise in some games this season, but on the road they have averaged just 14 points per game in three losses. Arizona’s offense has looked a little more potent to start the season, averaging 34.5 in their first two games. Since finding a better winning formula, they have mellowed out considerably and are averaging 18.2 points in their last six games. Both sides have exciting quarterbacks who can move the ball through the air or on the ground, so it should be a fun game to watch, though it may come down to a field goal contest in the end.
Take the floor.
Forecast: Under 44.5