Week 17 predictions: Can the Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers and punch their ticket to the playoffs?

Brad Biggs, Colleen Kane and Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune
·3 min read

Soak it up, Chicago Bears fans.

Your team enters its Week 17 matchup against the Green Bay Packers with a chance to earn a playoff spot.

Sure, Aaron Rodgers is 20-5 against the Bears in his career (including playoffs) — and the Packers are eyeing the NFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round playoff bye. And sure, Mitch Trubisky is 1-5 lifetime against his division rivals.

But since the Bears’ 41-25 loss to the Packers in Week 12, their offense has scored 30-plus points in four consecutive games for the first time since 1965. A win Sunday — or an Arizona Cardinals loss to the Los Angeles Rams — puts the Bears in the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

Can they pull off the upset on the lakefront?

<mark class="hl_blue">Chicago Bears (8-7) vs. Green Bay Packers (12-3)</mark>

TV and radio: FOX-32, WBBM-AM 780, WCFS-FM 105.9.","type":"text

The line: Packers by 5 1/4 u00bd. Over/under: 51.","type":"text

Tribune picks last game: 3-0.","type":"text

Join our Bears Fans group to talk about today’s game.","type":"text

Sign up now to get Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts first.","type":"text

Brad Biggs (10-5)

Brad Biggs (10-5)

If an 8-7 team that has a playoff appearance hanging in the balance can be loose, you could describe the Bears as that in the days leading up to this divisional rivalry. The offense has taken on a new look with Bill Lazor calling plays, Mitch Trubisky at quarterback and David Montgomery running hungry. As a result, the Bears have been producing in the red zone and scoring points in bunches against some dreadfully bad opponents. The degree of difficulty is ramped up this week, and they face an opponent that will be difficult to beat in a high-scoring affair.

<mark class="hl_yellow">Packers 31, Bears 24.</mark>

Colleen Kane (11-4)

The Bears offense has stacked multiple good games together, so there’s reason to believe this one will be closer than Mitch Trubisky’s return as a starter in Week 12. But as the Bears have been making their turnaround, the Packers have rattled off five straight wins behind 15 touchdown passes, one interception and a 127.9 passer rating from Aaron Rodgers. The Bears defense has been too inconsistent to presume the unit is going to be able to stop Rodgers this time.

<mark class="hl_yellow">Packers 30, Bears 27</mark>

Dan Wiederer (11-4)

Logic and history tell us the most predictable way for this season to end is with Aaron Rodgers ripping Chicago’s heart out. Again. That would mean back-to-back 8-8 seasons bookended by dispiriting home losses to the rival Packers. But Week 17 has no use for your logic and history. Mitch Trubisky plays well. The defense plays well enough. Cairo Santos walks it off, ushering the Bears into the playoffs.

<mark class="hl_orange">Bears 30, Packers 29</mark>