Bears vs. Packers prediction: Will Jordan Love or Caleb Williams lead squad to playoff glory vs. hated rival?
The NFL's oldest/most played rivalry will be renewed for a third time in 2025 and just the third time in NFL playoff history
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4 min read
The Green Bay Packers versus the Chicago Bears, the NFL's oldest/most-played rivalry with 213 games on the books including their upcoming playoff matchup, will be reignited for a third time in the 2025 season. Each team won at home in the regular season with both games ending in a one-score win. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams threw an interception to Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon with 27 seconds to play to seal a 28-21 Packers home win in Week 14 while Williams threw a 46-yard, game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver DJ Moore in a 22-16 overtime win in Week 16.
The last time these two teams played in Week 16, Packers quarterback Jordan Love got knocked out with a concussion in the second quarter, but he'll be back for this matchup after sitting out the final two games of the regular season. Love is a perfect 4-0 against the Bears in the four matchups with Chicago that he has started and finished in his three seasons as Green Bay's starting quarterback. The loss in Week 16 in 2025 and the loss in Week 18 in 2024 involved backup quarterback Malik Willis finishing the game because of an injury to Love.
Green Bay is making its third playoff appearance in three seasons with Love as the team's starting quarterback while Chicago is making its first playoff appearance since 2020 and first of Williams' career under the guidance of first-year head coach Ben Johnson.
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Tyler Sullivan
It's almost time for the Packers vs. Bears grudge match at Soldier Field in the postseason after two thrilling, one-possession wins for each team this regular season. Here are the key things to know plus a game prediction for the first Green Bay vs. Chicago playoff game since the 2010 NFC Championship game, a game that was won 21-14 at Soldier Field by the visiting Packers en route to a Super Bowl XLV title.
Where to watch Bears vs. Packers live
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 10 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Soldier Field (Chicago, Illinois)
- Stream: Amazon Prime Video
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Odds: Packers -1.5, O/U 45.5 (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Packers vs. Bears: Need to know
How crisp will Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs and Zack Tom be for Packers' offense?
Love, running back Josh Jacobs and right tackle Zack Tom are all varying degrees of banged up. Love (concussion) should be good to go after not playing contact football for three weeks by the time this playoff matchup kicks off on Saturday night. Running back Josh Jacobs has been dealing with a knee issue since tweaking it on the MetLife Stadium turf back in Week 11. He had just four carries for three yards in Week 17 against the Baltimore Ravens before sitting out the Week 18 season finale at the Minnesota Vikings. Right tackle Zack Tom suffered a knee injury in Week 15 at the Denver Broncos, and he hasn't played since.
Tom practiced as a limited participant every day this week while both Love and Jacobs are no longer on the team's injury report. That's an encouraging sign for Green Bay.
Can the Bears' No. 3 rush offense take advantage of depleted Packers defensive line?
One of a number of things Ben Johnson was able to take with him from the Detroit Lions to the Chicago Bears in 2025 was a successful run game. Chicago is averaging 144.5 rushing yards per game this season, the third-most in the NFL this season. Green Bay is without both All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons (ACL) and stout defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt (ankle). Since Week 16, with both sidelined, the Packers are allowing an NFL-worst 198.0 rushing yards per game.
Yes, that average is inflated by Derrick Henry's all-time performance (216 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries) against them in Week 17, but the Packers did allow the Bears to rush for 150 against them in the Week 16 defeat at Soldier Field. This would appear to be an advantage for Chicago.
Who is going to force the game-tilting turnover on defense?
Packers safety Xavier McKinney totaled eight interceptions in 2024, the second-most in the league. Bears safety Kevin Byard led the NFL with eight interceptions in 2025. Which one of them will take away a football that flutters an extra second longer in the area out of the hand of Love or Williams after perhaps being hit on a throw?
As long as both quarterbacks remain healthy, this game has the makings of a high-scoring affair like the 28-21 Packers victory in Week 14. Whichever team can force that one crucial takeaway could take control of the game.
Packers vs. Bears prediction
With Love healthy once again, he'll have a similar performance like he did in the first matchup between these teams when he threw three touchdowns, including a couple explosives to No. 1 receiver Christian Watson. Williams will play well like he did at the San Francisco 49ers on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 17, but like that night in Santa Clara, he'll come up just short in his first NFL playoff game.
Pick: Packers 31, Bears 27 | (Packers -1.5, Over 44.5)
