After a slow start to the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers will try to solidify their standing in the NFL playoff picture when they take on the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. The Bears (3-5), who are a game out of the NFC Wild Card, have lost four of six, including three straight. The Steelers (4-3), who have won three games in a row, are just one game behind AFC North-leading Baltimore. Pittsburgh has dominated interconference matchups through the years, going 117-72-1 against NFC opponents, while Chicago is 96-98 against AFC foes.
Kickoff from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. Pittsburgh is a seven-point favorite in the latest Steelers vs. Bears odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 39. Before making any Bears vs. Steelers picks or NFL predictions, be sure to see what SportsLine NFL expert R.J. White has to say.
White, a CBS Sports fantasy and gambling editor, ended the 2020 season on an 80-59 run on all NFL picks, returning more than $1,400 during that span. It's no surprise, as White has cashed huge twice in the world's most prestigious football handicapping competition, the Las Vegas SuperContest. In addition, White is 47-27-3 on his last 77 against the spread picks involving the Steelers. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, White has set his sights on Steelers vs. Bears. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks. Now, here are several NFL odds and trends for Bears vs. Steelers:
Steelers vs. Bears spread: Pittsburgh -7 Steelers vs. Bears over-under: 39 points Steelers vs. Bears money line: Chicago +260, Pittsburgh -330 CHI: Bears are 5-2-1 against the spread in their last eight Week 9 games PIT: Steelers are 4-1 ATS in their last five November gamesFeatured Game | Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Chicago Bears
A pair of former Wisconsin Badgers are helping power Pittsburgh's defense, linebackers T.J. Watt and Joe Schobert. Watt had six tackles, 1.5 sacks and his second fumble recovery of the year last week against the Cleveland Browns. Watt will be looking for his fifth game in a row with a tackle for loss and his third consecutive game with 1.5 or more sacks. He has registered a sack in six of his past seven home games and a forced fumble in four of his past five games at home. He also has recorded a sack in three of his past four appearances on Monday Night Football.
Schobert, meanwhile, led the Steelers with nine tackles and forced his first fumble of the season in Week 8 against the Browns. He had a sack, forced fumble and an interception in his last game against Chicago as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 27, 2020. For the season, Schobert is second on the team in tackles with 45, including 27 solo. He has broken up four passes and forced one fumble.
Why the Bears can coverDespite that, Pittsburgh is not a lock to cover the Bears vs. Steelers spread. That's because Chicago rookie quarterback Justin Fields continues to improve. He completed 19-of-27 passes (career-high 70.4 percent) for 175 yards and one touchdown with one interception for an 84.6 rating last week against San Francisco. He also rushed for a career-high 103 yards and scored his second career rushing TD. Fields is just the third quarterback in NFL history to have 100 or more rushing yards, a rushing TD and a passing TD in a single game. The other two are Robert Griffin III and Marcus Mariota.
Another rookie making a big impact is running back Khalil Herbert. In last week's loss to San Francisco, Herbert rushed for 72 yards and will be looking for his third road game in a row with 70 or more rushing yards. In eight games this season, Herbert has rushed 81 times for 351 yards (4.3 average) and one touchdown. He has had three explosive plays of 20 or more yards and converted 20 first downs.
How to make Steelers vs. Bears picksWhite has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he's leaning under the total, he has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it
