Breaking down NFL betting splits for Week 9 MNF matchup: Bears vs. Steelers

To wrap up another exciting week in the NFL, we have the Chicago Bears heading to Heinz Field to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. The Bears (3-5) are riding a three-game losing streak after they lost 33-22 to the San Francisco 49ers last week. As for the Steelers, they have won three consecutive games, which includes a hard-fought 15-10 road win last week against the Cleveland Browns.

Can rookie quarterback Justin Fields lead the Bears to a road win in primetime? Or will the Steelers pick up another to win to keep pace in the AFC North? Odds and splits below are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Bears vs. Steelers, Week 9 betting splits

Betting the spread: The Steelers are 6.5-point favorites. 69% of the handle and 65% of bets are being placed on the Steelers to cover.

Is the public right? This week in the NFL, we surprisingly saw nine underdogs cover the spread and eight underdogs win straight up. The Bears will be looking to keep that trend going, but it will be tough against a Steelers’ team that has momentum. In their last three games, Pittsburgh is averaging 21.6 points per game.

Meanwhile, Chicago’s defense is having their own set of issues allowing 30-plus points in back-to-back games. The Bears will not have star linebacker Khalil Mack for tonight’s game and could be without starting safety Eddie Jackson, who is listed as doubtful. Chicago is 3-7 against the spread in their last 10 games. As for Pittsburgh, they aren’t much better at 2-4 ATS in their last six games and 1-4 ATS in their last five games. Additionally, they are 0-3 ATS when they are the home favorite this season.

Based on how things have gone this week in the NFL, the Bears could end up winning this game. But I trust Mike Tomlin more than I do Matt Nagy, so the public is right with taking the Steelers on the spread.

Betting the over/under: The point total is installed at 39. 59% of the handle and 70% of bets are being placed on the over.

Is the public right? It does not come as a surprise to see such a low point total for tonight’s game with two pedestrian offenses. The Bears are averaging 15.4 points per game and the Steelers averaging 18.9 points per game. This season, Chicago is 2-6 when it comes to the over and the Steelers are 1-5-1, which is second worst in the league. The public wants to go with the over, but we just saw the Steelers win 15-10 last week. The better play here would be the under.

Betting the moneyline: The Steelers are home favorites with moneyline odds at -280. Moneyline odds for the Bears are at +225. 79% of the handle and 79% of bets are being placed on the Steelers to win.

Is the public right? Even though this game is not the most appealing on the schedule, the public is right about the Steelers winning. As of right now, they are the better team on both sides of the ball and have the better head coach. Their defense is playing better and should be able to wreak some havoc against the Bears’ offensive line. I don’t think Chicago will have an answer for rookie running back Najee Harris.

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