The Chicago Bears visit the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football in Week 17, with both 11-4 teams vying for better NFC seeding. The Bears, fresh off a 22-16 overtime win against the Green Bay Packers, face a 49ers squad riding a five-game winning streak after a 48-27 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. ET at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Both the Bears and 49ers have secured postseason berths, but the outcome could influence the NFC's top seed. Chicago has clinched the NFC North and holds a 5-3 road record, while San Francisco sits second in the NFC West, one game behind the Seattle Seahawks with a 4-2 mark at home. The 49ers lead the all-time series 36-33-1 and have won two of the last three meetings.
Injuries will impact both sides. For San Francisco, tight end George Kittle is out with an ankle injury, though wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is active. The Bears will miss wide receivers Rome Odunze (foot) and Olamide Zaccheaus. Betting odds list the 49ers as 3.5-point favorites with a total of 51.5 points, and San Francisco at -195 on the money line.
Quarterback matchups feature Chicago's Caleb Williams, who in 15 games has completed 57.8% of passes for 3,400 yards and 23 touchdowns, plus 369 rushing yards and three scores. Against the Packers, he threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns while adding 30 rushing yards. San Francisco's Brock Purdy, in seven games, boasts a 68.8% completion rate for 1,737 yards, 17 passing touchdowns, and a 102.1 rating; he recently threw five touchdowns in a 295-yard performance versus the Colts.
Running backs shine for each team. Bears' D'Andre Swift has 993 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games. 49ers' Christian McCaffrey leads with 1,039 rushing yards and nine scores in 15 games, plus 849 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns; he tallied 146 scrimmage yards and two scores against Indianapolis.
Chicago excels with a plus-21 turnover differential, forcing 31 turnovers while committing just 10. San Francisco, meanwhile, tops the NFL in points per game and third-down efficiency during its streak, where all wins came by double digits. The 49ers are 4-0 straight up and against the spread in primetime games this season. Predictive models suggest a high-scoring affair, with one simulation projecting 53 total points.
