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49ers host Bears on Sunday night
By: Zach Cohen - StatFox
Published: 9/14/2014  at  6:42:00 AM
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CHICAGO BEARS (0-1)
at SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (1-0)

Kickoff: Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET
Line: San Francisco -7, Total: 48.5

Two powerful offenses will go up against one another when the 49ers host the Bears on Sunday night.

Here is the BetDSI Sportsbook betting preview for this matchup:

Chicago got off to a poor start to their 2014 NFL season. Hosting the Bills in Week 1, the Bears committed some costly turnovers and suffered a 23-20 overtime loss. Chicago will need to take better care of the ball as it is up against a San Francisco defense that is more than willing to gamble in pursuit of causing turnovers. The Niners didn’t disappoint in their Week 1 game, erasing a miserable preseason by destroying the Cowboys on the road. San Francisco moved the ball with ease against a poor Dallas defense, and they should be able to put up points against an injury-depleted 49ers squad, but stopping that offense will be the more difficult task. These teams last met in November of 2012 when the 49ers beat the Bears 32-7 as 3.5-point home favorites. Chicago is 0-8 ATS off a non-conference game over the past three seasons, but are a solid 30-23 ATS (57%) since 1992 after being outrushed by 75+ yards in its previous game. WRs Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) and Brandon Marshall (ankle) are listed as probable for the Bears, while OT Anthony Davis (hamstring) and DB Chris Culliver (concussion) are questionable for San Francisco.

Which division rival will pick up this crucial victory? For the answer, connect to NFL Best Bets for all the StatFox Experts picks throughout the 2014 regular season and playoffs. During the 2013 campaign, the experts combined for a 52% ATS success rate in NFL Best Bets, highlighted by Brian's 60% ATS mark (41-27-6). Scott had a 54% ATS accuracy (36-31-3) on NFL Best Bets, while Gary was 53% ATS (26-23-3). Scott also thrived with his NFL Totals, finishing at 56% (40-31), capped off by a perfect 5-0 run in the postseason. Brian started the 2014 season with a perfect 3-0 record on NFL Totals and a 3-2 ATS mark in Best Bets for Week 1.

The Bears lost to the Bills in the type of game that could really come back to haunt them at the end of the year. RB Matt Forte was by far the team's top player in the game, rushing for 82 yards while also catching eight passes for 87 yards. Chicago will need to give him more carries in short-yardage situations, as the club threw far too often in third-and-short scenarios. QB Jay Cutler threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw two costly interceptions. He will need to emphasize ball security against a 49ers defense that will take plenty of chances in order to get the ball. In two previous starts versus San Francisco, both losses, Cutler threw for 1 TD and 6 INT. WRs Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall will likely play in this game after combining for 13 receptions with 142 yards and a touchdown in Week 1. They’ll usually rack up more yards than that, but they still did their part. TE Martellus Bennett caught eight passes for 70 yards and a touchdown, showing that he'll be a big part of this offense working the middle of the field while Marshall and Jeffery draw defenders away. Where Chicago really struggled in the opener was against the run. The Bears let Buffalo rush for 193 yards and a touchdown in the game. Frank Gore and Colin Kaepernick will be looking to torch this rushing defense, so Chicago will need to find a way to stop them.

The 49ers defense got off to a great start this season, holding a potent Cowboys offense to just 17 points in Dallas. They have dealt with a number of injuries and suspensions so far this season, but they seemed to have held up just fine in Week 1. They’ll need to be ready to defend against a Bears offense that is equally as explosive in the run game as they are through the air. QB Colin Kaepernick was excellent against the Cowboys, going 16-for-23 with 201 yards and two touchdowns, while not turning the ball over once. WR Anquan Boldin was his favorite target with fellow WR Michael Crabtree playing through a calf injury. Boldin was targeted nine times and hauled in eight passes for 99 yards. He should be a big part of the offense again on Sunday. TE Vernon Davis caught four passes for 44 yards and two touchdowns. He’ll continue to be a red-zone threat, as he is Kaepernick’s favorite target when they get in scoring territory. The 49ers will need to do a better job of establishing the run early. They rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown as a team, but RB Frank Gore didn’t get many touches until the second half. They’ll look to improve on his pedestrian 66 yards against the Bears' awful run defense.


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