The Bears (11-4) and 49ers (11-4) have each clinched a playoff spot in the NFC, but both are still looking to start the New Year with a divisional title. Chicago leads the NFC North by 1.5 games and would clinch the division with a win. San Francisco, meanwhile, trails the Seahawks (12-3) by one game in the NFC West.
Both squads roll into Sunday Night Football’s 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff on a hot streak. The Bears have won back-to-back games and are 7-1 over the last eight, and the 49ers have ripped off five consecutive wins.
For Sunday’s highly anticipated matchup on NBC and Peacock, let’s make a Bears vs. 49ers prediction and picks for PrizePicks.
Bears vs. 49ers Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
PrizePicks Team Picks lists Chicago as the favorite to win the NFC North with a 1.14x payout. San Francisco has some ground to cover in the NFC West, sitting as the second favorite to win the division with a 2.7x payout.
Which team will inch toward a divisional title on Sunday Night Football?
Bears vs. 49ers Over/Under, Spread
With a home advantage, the 49ers are 3.5-point favorites, returning a 1.92x payout with a cover on PrizePicks Team Picks.
The Bears are underdogs with a 2.38x payout to win outright, but they’ve won two of their past three games as underdogs.
- Spread: San Francisco 49ers -3.5
- Over/Under: 53.5
- Game Winner Payout: Bears 2.38x | 49ers 1.53x
Team Picks data is live as of writing and is subject to change.
Bears vs. 49ers Prediction on Spread
Chicago keeps finding ways to win, but its team-level stats still draw concern. For example, the Bears' defense is giving up 23.6 points per game (19th), 5.9 yards per play (28th), 5.0 yards per rushing attempt (29th), and 7.5 yards per passing attempt (27th).
Dominating the turnover battle has been Chicago’s M.O., touting a +1.4 average margin (first), 0.7 giveaways per game (first), and 2.1 takeaways per contest (first). The 49ers total a troubling 1.3 giveaways per game (24th), but that’s improved to 1.0 during their winning streak.
If San Fran can keep the turnover battle competitive, it could cruise to a home victory. The Bears’ front seven ranks 31st in ESPN’s pass rush win rate, adding to the secondary’s troubles. Chicago starting CBs Nahshon Wright (hamstring/illness) and C.J. Gardner-Johnson (knee) are questionable for Sunday night.
The Niners’ offense has been most productive through the air, totaling 7.6 yards per pass (10th) compared to 3.6 yards per carry (31st). Starting WR Ricky Pearsall (knee/ankle) and TE George Kittle (ankle) are questionable, but the two have appeared in only 8 and 10 games this season. This passing game has still found ways to be productive, partially thanks to RB Christian McCaffrey’s absurd 849 receiving yards.
Chicago’s offense leans on the run, with a 47.1% rush-play rate (seventh) and 4.9 yards per carry (third). The passing game will be without one of its starters, as WR Rome Odunze (foot) will miss his fourth consecutive game.
San Francisco is equipped with a strong run defense, limiting opponents to 4.3 yards per carry (15th) and 102.9 rushing yards per game (eighth). With advantages on both sides of the ball, can the 49ers add to their streak?
Bears vs. 49ers Picks for Sunday Night Football
PrizePicks Team Picks’ 53.5 total implies a positive scoring environment, which usually means relevant passing games. Bears WR Luther Burden and 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey are two prominent pieces who could shine on Sunday Night Football.
Bears WR Luther Burden vs. 49ers Projection: 47.5 Receiving Yards
- In two games without Odunze in the lineup, Burden has averaged 5.0 receptions and 75.5 receiving yards per game.
- After posting a 24.2% snap share from Week 1 to 8, the rookie’s snap rate has jumped to 50.8% over his previous six outings.
- Since Week 10, the 2025 second-round pick has racked up 13.4 yards per reception and 51.3 receiving yards per contest.
- According to Sharp Football Analysis, the 49ers feature zone coverage at the 10th-highest rate. Pro Football Focus gives Burden 3.04 yards per route run against zone compared to 1.32 when facing man coverage.
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey vs. Bears Projection: 5 Receptions
- CMC has been the cream of the crop for receiving RBs, carrying a 24.9% target share (first), 78.6% route participation (first), and 2.01 yards per route run (second), per PlayerProfiler.
- The Niners’ starting tailback leads RBs with 849 receiving yards, 92 receptions, and 6.1 catches per game.
- Pearsall and Kittle were both inactive in Week 5 and 6. McCaffrey saw a large workload in the receiving game, with 8.5 targets and 7.5 receptions per game in the split.
Make Bears vs. 49ers Picks on PrizePicks
Will the Bears clinch the NFC North, or will the Niners continue to nip at the Seahawks’ heels in the NFC West? Injuries in Chicago’s secondary and San Fran’s passing game are impacting projections at PrizePicks.
Call your shots on PrizePicks for a chance to earn real-money rewards if you’re right. Just pick players and predict More or Less on their projected stats.
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