Predictions On Tap: Bears at 49ers

It's been a wild whirlwind of a week for the Chicago Bears. After a Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions, Chicago moved on from Matt Eberflus, marking the first time a Bears' head coach has been fired mid-season in franchise history. Given his offensive prowess, Thomas Brown was promoted to interim head coach. His first test will come in Week 14 when the Bears visit the 5-7 San Francisco 49ers.

Both teams are vastly underperforming and looking to get things moving in the right direction. The 49ers have dropped three straight games and will be without star running back Christian McCaffrey. Will the Bears take advantage of a depleted 49ers team or will Kyle Shanahan right the ship just in time to make a run for the playoffs?

Conor Cunningham: 49ers 27, Bears 24

The 49ers have been on “bad vibes” watch all season, and that hasn't changed entering Week 14. With Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason out, an injured Brock Purdy, and a lifeless Deebo Samuel, the 49ers offense isn't in a good spot. Despite all of this, I know deep down that Kyle Shanahan will still outcoach Thomas Brown, and the Bears will drop their seventh consecutive game. In three weeks, Bears fans will be calling for Brown’s head. But hey, I hope I'm wrong!

Samir Patel: Bears 21, 49ers 13

Neither team is feeling good about how Week 13 played out. The Bears, however, have a reason to feel rejuvenated. All of the vibes out of Halas Hall this week have been positive after the coaching shakeup. Over the last 10 seasons, teams with interim coaches are 13-11 in their first game with the new coach. Those teams had a .284 winning percentage upon firing their coaches. The Bears' roster is much better than their record shows, and I believe Thomas Brown is primed to maximize the team's talent. Conversely, the 49ers are beat up and have had to listen to national media talk all week about their coach being traded.

Seth Conklin: Bears 31, 49ers 18

I'm a big believer in the new-coach bump. Both sides of the ball are going to come out with their hair on fire. Thomas Brown preached playing violently — an attribute the Bears have lacked all season. I foresee the Bears' red-zone defense continuing its dominance. Kyle Shanahan is a tremendous coach, but it's tough to envision the 49ers overcoming all their injuries to key players.

Quinten Krzysko: Bears 24, 49ers 17

My model makes the Bears 2.5-point dogs, but the preferred meatball model says the Bears are favored by a billion. The 49ers are missing multiple key players with a few others in question for Sunday's game. That, combined with the interim coach bump, makes me optimistic about the Bears' chances in this Week 14 contest. For a hot take, I predict that Rome Odunze will record 100-plus receiving yards for the third time this season.

Ron Luce: Bears 31, 49ers 21

Sunny Verma: Bears 27, 49ers 13