The NFC North rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears gets a trilogy in the Wild Card Round.
Chicago backed into the No. 2 seed in the NFC and hosts Green Bay on Saturday night (8 p.m. ET kickoff). These familiar foes split their season series, which sets up a very tight spread with the market mixed on just which team should be the favorite in the playoff opener.
I run down the opening odds, early movement, and give my early Packers vs. Bears predictions and NFL picks below.
Packers vs Bears predictions
Here are our early thoughts on the spread and total for this week’s game. We will have a full game preview (with a best bet and SGP) later in the week.
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Early Packers vs Bears spread pick: Bears +1.5
Look-ahead lines had the Chicago Bears listed as 1.5-point home underdogs in this potential postseason pairing before the results of Week 18.
The Green Bay Packers rested an injury-ravaged roster in the finale, losing to Minnesota, while the Bears botched a chance to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC with a loss to Detroit at home. However, Philadelphia mailed in its final game, and that has Chicago as the second seed despite a two-game slide.
The official opening spread was split, with some shops dealing Chicago +1.5 and others opening the home side at -1.5. Twelve hours later, the market remains divided with spreads ranging from Green Bay -1.5 to pick’em to Chicago -1.5.
The betting public — which has a larger influence over line movement in the playoffs — hasn’t been in love with Chicago this season, and we're seeing some sharper books dealing a short spread with vig padded toward the Packers. That could indicate a market consensus move in the coming days.
If you’re really sold on one of these sides right now, jump on the best number for your bet while you can shop. Or you can pass on the point spread and keep it simple with the outright odds, as you can get either side at similar prices across the industry.
Early Packers vs Bears total pick: Over 46.5
This total opened as tall as 47.5 and dropped through the key number of 47 points to 46.5 O/U. This decline could be a reaction to the Week 18 results or the extended forecast for Soldier Field showing chilly temperatures and strong wind gusts Saturday night.
The last meeting between these divisional foes finished with a 22-16 win for Chicago in overtime in Week 16, which stayed below the closing total of 44.5 points. However, the Packers played most of that game without quarterback Jordan Love, who left with a concussion in the second quarter.
There were several injuries to the Green Bay offense in the home stretch of the schedule, but it appears that the Cheeseheads will be at their healthiest in a while when they travel to Chicago on Saturday.
As for this Packers defense, it's fallen off a cliff in the back half of the slate. Micah Parsons’ season-ending injury was a major tipping point, sinking this stop unit from Top-10 defense in the first 12 weeks to Bottom-5 defense in the final six weeks.
The Bears are what they are, with a high-powered passing attack and high-risk, high-reward defense. Chicago finished No. 6 in EPA per play from Week 13 onward and can push the ball well beyond the chains.
Defensively, Chicago is ball-hawking with a league-high in takeaways, but can get burned for big plays, allowing the second-most receptions of 20+ yards. The Packers are anchored in the run, but Love has hit the sixth-most explosive passes in the NFL.
Packers vs Bears odds
- Packers vs. Bears spread: Bears +1.5
- Packers vs. Bears moneyline: Packers -108, Bears -108
- Packers vs. Bears Over/Under: 46.5
How to watch Packers vs Bears
- Packers vs. Bears matchup
- Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026, 8:00 p.m. ET
- City: Chicago, IL
- Venue: Soldier Field
- TV: Prime Video
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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