Cutler, Smith Out For Monday Night Football Matchup

By: Michael Robinson | Friday, November 16, 2012

Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers
NFL Betting Preview
Date: 11/19/2012 at 8:30 p.m. (ET)
Opening Lines: San Francisco -4, O/U 38½
(click for latest NFL odds)
Television: ESPN

Chicago Bears: The Bears (7-2 straight-up, 5-4 against the spread) had a double dose of bad news last game, a 13-6 home loss to Houston on Sunday Night Football and quarterback Jay Cutler suffered a concussion just before halftime and did not return. That loss snapped a six-game winning streak, and Cutler has already been ruled out of Monday night's game. Jason Campbell is a seasoned backup QB, but he engineered just three points in the second half last game after going 11-of-19 for 94 yards. Chicago is 3-0 SU and ATS in its last three road games, scoring a huge 42 points per game with the "over" going 3-0. However, two of those opponents (Tennessee and Jacksonville) made for easy targets, and San Francisco will be an extremely tough venue for Campbell as he makes his first start of the season.

San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers (6-2-1 SU, 5-4 ATS) will also be going with their backup QB after Alex Smith suffered a concussion in last week’s rare 24-24 tie with St. Louis. They were 13½-point home favorites in that game, and Smith was not cleared to play after he was still listed as questionable Friday on the NFL injury report. Second-year player Colin Kaepernick will make his first career start, and he was 11-of-17 passing for 117 yards last week and also added 66 yards and a touchdown on the ground. San Francisco is now 0-3 ATS in its last three home games after going 12-1-1 ATS in its previous 14 at Candlestick Park. Both teams have solid run defenses, and it could come down to whichever backup quarterback plays better. The Bears and 49ers last played in November 2009 in prime time (a 10-6 San Francisco victory), and the home team is 7-0-SU and 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings since 2000.

Click here to sign up for a FREE 4-day trial of Don Best Real-Time Odds!

Tweets by @DonBestSports