The Sports Wire

Packers at Bears

Prediction updated
Packers at Bears · Week 16 · Fri, Dec 25 · 12:00 PM CT · Netflix

Our call: BearsToss-up

3 of 4 models favor the Bears.

On average the models have the Bears by 0.3 points, a 51% win chance.

Early prediction, updates weekly until kickoff.

Data through Week 5's games (the last played Mon, Oct 12), from nflverse play-by-play; nflverse last published it .

Green Bay Packers (3–2) at Chicago Bears (3–2) Fri, Dec 25, 2026 Kickoff 12:00 PM CT on Netflix Chicago

TV listings: ESPN

Every model

ModelSaysWin chance
Consensus (our call)The average of Our model, Elo, SRS and ESPN FPI (whichever are there); the market is left out. This is our call.Bears by 0.351%
Our model ExperimentalOur ratings from nflverse play-by-play: opponent-adjusted EPA per play, home field and the starting quarterback, frozen on the 2024 season and tested once on 2025. Experimental.Packers by 5.266%
EloEvery team's Elo rating from every game since 1999 (FiveThirtyEight's method).Bears by 2.358%
SRSSimple Rating System: points scored minus allowed, adjusted for the schedule, blended with last season early on. Settings chosen by hand, not tuned.Bears by 3.761%
ESPN FPIESPN's Football Power Index matchup predictor, read from ESPN before kickoff. Read in the week of the game.Available game week—
RecordThe team with the better record this season; equal records go to the home team. A winner only.Bears—

Our model is experimental. Season so far (79 games, Weeks 1–4 reconstructed): it missed the final margin by 9.8 points on average, the market's margin by 9.8; ours was closer in 38 of 79. Scorecard →

Numbers to know

Starting quarterbacks

Not named yet. The quarterbacks we assume show here in game week: once every earlier game is in, or two days before Week 16's first kickoff.

Injuries

The official Week 16 injury report isn't out yet. It shows here once nflverse has it, in the week of the game.

Latest news

Green Bay Packers

More Packers news →

Chicago Bears

More Bears news →

Headlines and a line or two from each outlet's own feed, linked to the original; the stories are theirs, not ours.

Matchup

Opponent-adjusted, from nflverse play-by-play, through Week 5 (the games played so far); league rank in brackets.

PackersBears
Net EPA per play+0.03 (13th)+0.02 (14th)
Offense, EPA per play+0.02 (13th)+0.05 (11th)
Defense, EPA per play allowed (lower is better)−0.01 (15th)+0.02 (20th)
Passing offense, EPA per dropback+0.16 (7th)+0.10 (14th)
Rushing offense, EPA per run−0.22 (31st)−0.02 (8th)
Offense success rate43% (17th)46% (7th)

Last 5 meetings

The Bears won 3 of the last 5 meetings.

Oct 11, 2026Week 5, 2026Packers 31, Bears 7at Green Bay
Jan 10, 2026Wild Card, 2025Bears 31, Packers 27at Chicago
Dec 20, 2025Week 16, 2025Bears 22, Packers 16at Chicago
Dec 7, 2025Week 14, 2025Packers 28, Bears 21at Green Bay
Jan 5, 2025Week 18, 2024Bears 24, Packers 22at Green Bay