Cardinals vs. Bears: NFL Week 13 betting odds, preview, and pick

The Arizona Cardinals will look to come out of their bye week with a win when they travel to Chicago to play the Bears on Sunday. Let's take a look at the matchup, beginning with the latest betting odds.

Cardinals might be back to full strength

After going 2-1 without Kyler Murray, the Cardinals had a bye week at just the right time with their MVP candidate returning in time for the stretch run. Murray and star receiver DeAndre Hopkins both appear to be ready to play on Sunday after missing multiple games.

Before the bye week, Colt McCoy led the Cardinals to a 23-13 win in Seattle in Week 11. However, the emergence of running back James Conner has been huge, with eight of his 13 touchdowns coming in Arizona’s last five games. The return of Murray and Hopkins should allow him more room to run, especially with the 22nd-ranked Bears defense missing key pieces in their front seven.

Rumors are swirling around head coach Kliff Kingsbury, with his name being mentioned for multiple prominent college football job openings. However, the Cardinals have lost both of their games following a bye in his first two seasons, and with their upcoming scheduling featuring games against the Rams, Colts, and Cowboys, there will be plenty of urgency on drowning out the noise and winning this game.

Bears defense missing key players

Speaking of the injuries for the front seven of the Bears, Chicago is without linebacker Khalil Mack and defensive tackle Akiem Hicks. Now, they will likely be without linebacker Roquan Smith, who left their 16-14 win over the Lions on Thanksgiving with a hamstring injury. This would be a critical loss for a defense that already struggles against the run, and likely won’t have the tools in the secondary to deal with all of Arizona’s weapons.

Additionally, quarterback Justin Fields is returning to practice with fractured ribs, but Andy Dalton likely will start again this weekend. Dalton orchestrated an eight-and-a-half minute drive to end the game against Detroit, as the Bears went 69 yards in 18 plays to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired. He threw for 317 yards as the Bears narrowly defeated the winless Lions, perhaps saving the job of head coach Matt Nagy in the process.

No matter which quarterback starts, protecting him must be a priority. Chicago ranks dead last in sacks allowed at 3.4 per game, while Arizona is seventh-best at 2.6 sacks per contest. That number goes up drastically on the road, with nearly four takedowns of the quarterback per game.

Chicago must also find a way to run against an Arizona defense that ranks second-worst in the NFL against runs up the middle, allowing 5.1 yards per carry. However, since returning from a knee injury, running back David Montgomery is averaging nearly a full yard per carry less than he was before the injury.

Cardinals and Bears Betting Trends

• The Cardinals are 8-3 ATS in 11 games this season
• The Cardinals have covered the spread in their last six road games
• The Cardinals are 2-0 ATS this year when favored by more than a touchdown
• The Bears are just 4-7 ATS in 11 games this season
• The Under is 8-2 in Chicago’s last 10 games this season
• The Bears have failed to cover in their three games as underdogs of at least a touchdown

Cardinals have been road warriors

Even at full strength, it would be hard for me to see Chicago covering the spread in this contest. Chicago averages just 16.3 points per game, and will be tasked with slowing down an Arizona offense averaging 28.2 points per contest and getting key weapons back. With the injuries on defense, Murray and Conner will be able to run the ball with consistency and open up the play-action game.

Chicago ranks near the bottom of the league in yards per play and total plays per game, and dead last in passing offense. If Arizona gets a lead, the Bears will be ill-equipped on either side of the ball to really get back into the contest. Additionally, the Cardinals have won all six of their road games this year, covering the spread in each one. Arizona should cover this spread easily as well, with or without Murray, so take the Cardinals and lay the points.

If you are looking for a nice Same Game Combo, I would pair the Cardinals covering the spread with the Bears team total Under.

Score prediction: Arizona 31, Chicago 13

NFL Week 13 pick: CARDINALS -8 (-110)

SAME GAME COMBO: CARDINALS -8/Bears Team Total U17.5 (+133)

Cardinals vs. Bears pick powered by The Quant Edge

Our predictive engine is calling for the Cardinals to win outright and for the game to go Over the projected point total.