POPULAR BOB'S NFL FORECAST
Perhaps Bears can start to turn fortunes around in Popular Bob’s latest forecast
Caleb Williams and the Bears will see if they can pick up a home win Thursday after winning on the road last weekend.
Danny Karnik/Associated Press
This season Popular Bob will volunteer for a day at a Humane Society shelter — walking dogs, wrestling with puppies and petting cats — for each week he has winning record against the spread with his NFL picks.
Well, thanks to last week's forecasts those animals can expect another visit soon.
What’s happened to the NFL’s treasured home-field advantage the past two weeks, with road squads going 16-10-1 straight up and 17-10 against the spread?
Included were a couple of stunning upsets — Tampa Bay beating Dallas 24-16 as a 9.5-point dog two Thursdays ago and then last week's mega-stunner when Arizona won in LA against the preseason Super Bowl favorite Rams 18-16 as a 13.5-point underdog.
As an FYI, only one time in league history have visiting teams had a winning mark over the course of a season, that coming in the COVID season of 2020 when few, if any, fans were allowed at venues. This season, home teams are only 47-45-1.
Now for a look at Thursday night's game in Chicago. The forecasts for the remaining 13 games in Week 7 are scheduled to be published online Friday and in print Saturday, after which all games in subsequent weeks will again be online Wednesdays and in print in Thursday's editions.
### **Thursday**
**New England Patriots (4-2) at Chicago Bears (4-2), 6:15 p.m.**
SPREAD: Bears -3; 5035 O/U
OUTLOOK: The Bears normally would be on high alert against a Patriots squad that gave Buffalo its lone loss as well as handing Pittsburgh and Las Vegas their most lopsided defeats this season. But last week New England struggled against a largely ineffective Jets team that played without its star running back. Now Chicago’s top-ranked rushing offense and QB Caleb Williams will test the Patriots. Not to mention New England will be without both starting guards as well as leading receiver Romeo Doubs — and its right tackle is questionable.
**FORECAST:** Bears 27, Patriots 16
**LAST WEEK’S FORECAST RESULTS:** 8-6 ATS; 8-6 straight up
**SEASON TOTALS:** 39-52-2 ATS; 50-42-1 SU
_\*The odds are provided by_ [_teamrankings.com_](https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fteamrankings.com&c=E,1,f5deTTdw_R-Ue7OanIvXekEYdoVKe9q3A66ZHrIj6z1EOyPJ04RmsG003_hbdzKvG2x77YYhMqPlf8pFShiV56liqTgyL0QSahlQhwAi43ioDtSPf2o4&typo=1&ancr_add=1)_._