Sunday Night Football Picks: Chicago Bears vs San Francisco 49ers

by Mike Allen - 12/27/2025

It’s cliché at this point, but the feeling remains that it’s very hard to believe we’re sitting here about to wrap up Week 17 of the 2025 NFL regular season. What I love about this year, aside from the Kansas City Chiefs being eliminated from the playoffs, is how wide open it is.

We’ve got around a dozen teams that, in my opinion, have a legit shot at winning the Super Bowl. Thankfully, we get to talk about two of those organizations today.

Sunday Night Football should be a lot of fun. The San Francisco 49ers, who haven’t punted since November, are hosting another red-hot team, the surging Chicago Bears.

With both teams firmly in the playoffs, they’re about 5-9% to potentially win the Super Bowl. However, remember, we have 12 teams with a good chance, so those aren’t bad odds.

If you can recall a season this wide open in Week 17, please tell me because I can’t do it.

The Niners have had the roster and the head coach for some time now, but it's the Bears who’ve recently shown some flashes of greatness, particularly their second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.

The way he dropped it in the bucket from half the football field away and then casually put his hands in the warmer, wow, that gave me chills. Admittedly, I wasn’t really into the guy as he likes to paint his fingernails and all, but he made me a fan that day.

Imagine being a Bears fan in Chicago, essentially with the division on the line, and being at that game. I went onto social media and insulted a lot of my friends around the world, well, sorry, not sorry, because I had to keep it real.

Worldly football simply doesn’t compare to the NFL.

Let’s get to Sunday Night’s game, though. The Niners will be at home, in Santa Clara, under the lights with nearly perfect weather in the forecast.

My first instinct would be to bet the over, but maybe the betting value will be sucked out of it by the time we make it to the window.

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Chicago Bears (+3.5) at San Francisco 49ers (-3.5)

The betting line opened up at (-2.5) for the Niners and quickly was bet up to where we are now, above a field goal. Both offenses are rolling right now. It’s more of a dominant rushing attack for Chicago, while the Niners have been doing it through the air.

Point Total: 52.5

The total opened up at 50.5, and as you might imagine, it didn’t take the sharps long to jump on the over as 51 is a very key number in point total betting.

Moneyline Odds

Bears: +145

49ers: -177

Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers Betting Analysis

With the betting odds at (+3.5) for Chicago, I have to lean their way. The San Francisco defense has been shaky at times, but so has the Bears. I picked the Niners against Philip Rivers and company, and the cover was in question well into the 4th quarter. If some of Rivers’ deep balls had been just slightly better, the Colts could have certainly covered.

Bears’ head coach and offensive guru Ben Johnson knows this and will have some tricks up his sleeve for Robert Salah’s Niners defense.

I think if the odds go back down to (-3), which I’m already seeing at some sportsbooks, I would pass on the point spread and just play the over 52.5

Yes, a lot of the betting value has been sucked out, but we’re talking about two good offenses and two highly suspect.

Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers Betting Pick

Chicago Bears (+3.5)

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Start:	December 27, 2025 @ 11:59 PM
Expert:	Arun Shiva (Indian Cowboy)
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Sunday Night Football Picks: Chicago Bears vs San Francisco 49ers

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