The Green Bay Packers (11-5) will finish the 2024 regular season by hosting the Chicago Bears (4-12) at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
At one point, both of these teams were 4-2. Since Week 7, however, the Packers are 7-3, while the Bears are 0-10 — including a Week 11 meeting at Soldier Field in which the Packers escaped with a one-point win on a blocked field goal as time expired.
Can the Packers get to 12-5 and send the Bears to an 11th straight loss to end the regular season?
Here’s how the staff at Packers Wire believes the Week 18 showdown with the Bears will go down:
Zach Kruse: Packers 23, Bears 12 (9-7)
This is a tough prediction to make considering the unknowns when it comes to playing time for the Packers starters. How hard will Matt LaFleur push it in a game that might not mean anything on seeding? Then again, the Bears have nothing to play for and have lost 10 straight games, including four ugly games since interim coach Thomas Brown took over. If the Packers play starters for four quarters, it’s hard to imagine them losing at home. If the Packers end up resting players at some point, it’s not hard to imagine the Bears stealing the game late. The guess here is the Packers come out fast, build a lead and eventually salt the game away late with key players watching from the sideline. Any scenario where the Packers can build some momentum — especially offensively — while avoiding an injury to an important player is probably a best case scenario.
Brandon Carwile: Packers 28, Bears 13 (12-4)
Unless Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys squad can do the Packers a favor this weekend, Sunday’s matchup against the Bears may not impact the seed Green Bay gets in the playoffs. But that doesn’t mean this game doesn’t matter. Remember, Chicago gave the Packers a run for their money in the first meeting in Week 11. If not for a Karl Brooks blocked field goal as time expired, Green Bay would be 0-5 against the NFC North this season. Therefore, you can’t tell me a win on Sunday and carrying momentum into the playoffs wouldn’t mean anything to this Packers team, especially coming off a frustrating loss to the Vikings. This game means something to Chicago, too. They have now lost 11 in a row to Green Bay and would love to end the streak and send the Packers into the playoffs with back-to-back losses. However, I can’t see that happening with this Green Bay team, which still has the upside to make some noise this postseason. I think they win handily on Sunday to jump-start a potential playoff run.
Brennen Rupp: Packers 23-10 (14-2)
| Writer | Prediction | Score | Record |
| Zach Kruse | Win | 23-12 | 9-7 |
| Brandon Carwile | Win | 28-13 | 12-4 |
| Brennen Rupp | Win | 23-10 | 14-2 |