How the public is betting Bears vs. Rams in Week 1

The Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears meet up on Sunday night to cap off the first Sunday of the 2021 NFL season. Both teams will have new quarterbacks with the Rams leaning on Matthew Stafford and the Bears going with Andy Dalton, but the focus will be on two vaunted defensive units capable of taking the game over. Here’s how the public is betting the Sunday night showdown.

Point Spread

Rams -8: 84% of handle and 72% of bets are on Rams -8

Is the public right?

Since Sean McVay took over as head coach, the Rams are 22-10 at home. The team was 6-2 in Los Angeles last season and figures to be better with Stafford under center. The Bears will keep things tight defensively, but it appears the public is backing Stafford and McVay to click right off the bat. This could be a tough line to hit for bettors in what is likely to be a close game.

Point Total

46.5: 51% of handle and 54% of bets are on the over

Is the public right?

Even with all the offensive firepower the Rams possess, this seems like it’ll be a low-scoring contest. The Bears are unlikely to find much success offensively with Dalton, but McVay and Stafford won’t be fluid right off the bat. NFL teams are scoring more points in general over the last few years, but this one seems like it could be in the high teens to low 20s for both sides. This is essentially 50-50 in terms of money, so the public is not sold one way or the other.

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