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Bears visit Jets on Monday night
By: Zach Cohen - StatFox
Published: 9/22/2014  at  5:30:00 AM
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CHICAGO BEARS (1-1)
at NEW YORK JETS (1-1)

Kickoff: Monday, 8:35 p.m. ET
Line: New York -3, Total: 45.5

The Jets look to put a disappointing loss behind them when they host the Bears on Monday night.

Chicago was trailing the 49ers 20-7 on Sunday night, but scored 21 unanswered points to come away with the improbable win. The Jets, on the other hand, were leading 21-3 in their game against the Packers and blew that lead on the way to a 31-24 loss. Bears QB Jay Cutler was brilliant against San Francisco in the second half and will carry that momentum into a matchup with one of the worst secondaries in the NFL. New York will attempt to slow this game down by pounding away with its duo of RBs Chris Johnson and Chris Ivory. The Jets are 3-12 ATS off one or more straight Overs in the past three seasons, but the Bears are 1-9 ATS after a game with a turnover margin of +2 or better during that span. Five of the six games played between these teams since 1992 have gone Under the total. WR Eric Decker (hamstring) is listed as questionable for the Jets in this game, while Chicago could be thin in the secondary with S Chris Conte (shoulder) and CB Sherrick McManis (quad) both questionable.

Which team will earn its second win of the season on Monday night? 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 6-0 record on NFL Totals.

The Bears almost dug themselves an 0-2 hole to start the season, but QB Jay Cutler was able to rally his team back against the 49ers. Cutler was 23-of-34 on the game with 176 yards and four touchdowns. He now gets to tee off against a Jets secondary that allowed more than 200 receiving yards to Packers WR Jordy Nelson last week. Top WR Brandon Marshall, who caught three touchdowns against the 49ers, and No. 2 WR Alshon Jeffery will be chomping at the bit for their chance to play against this miserable New York pass defense. One player who could have trouble in this game is RB Matt Forte, as the Jets are allowing only 52.5 rushing yards per game this season (1st in NFL) and will sell out to stop the run. Chicago will need to set up some quick screens in order to get the ball into the hands of its best playmaker. The Bears pass defense has been solid this season, allowing 199.5 yards per game (10th in NFL), but has been shredded on the ground. Chicago is allowing opponents to rush for 160.0 yards per game (27th in NFL) and will need to do a much better job against a Jets offense that loves to pound away.

New York had a golden opportunity to start 2-0 with an 18-point lead at Lambeau Field, but became too protective of its lead and ran too often on the way to a 31-24 defeat. QB Geno Smith went 16-of-32 in the game with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for a touchdown. Smith was playing extremely well in the first half, but as the Jets became cautious of their lead, they were hesitant to let their quarterback make any plays. New York did, however, rush for 146 yards as a team and it should be able to replicate that success against a poor Bears defense. The Jets have been excellent defensively against the run this season, but defending the pass has been a whole different story. They are allowing 221.5 yards per game through the air (17th in NFL), but that number is low only because they played Derek Carr and a miserable Raiders passing game in Week 1. They were picked apart by Aaron Rodgers in Week 2. If New York head coach Rex Ryan can’t find a way to have his secondary performing at a high level, this game could get out of hand early on Monday.


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