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Once again, the live games are bets I particularly like and they are worth throwing into a multiple: [b]Chicago -3 Green Bay -3 Houston -6.5[/b] [i] £15 Trixie pays £200[/i] [b]Bears at Detroit[/b] I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of situational betting, but the Bears have to win to have a chance at the post-season and that must play here. More important is the ability of the Chicago' defense to take away the ball, coupled with Detroit's willingness to give it away: the Bears lead the league in causing turnovers and the Lions rank seventh in giveaways in the NFL. Matt Stafford will want to feed megatron to get him over the 2000yd mark and while it's a pretty terrifying thought that one of the finest wide receivers to have ever played football is going to be...

[b]Week 15 NFL Trixie[/b] A couple of the live games this week can be added to a bet I like, to make for an interesting little multiple for Christmas: [b]GB -2.5 NYG +1.5 Pit -2[/b] [i]£60 Pays approx. £224[/i] [b]Pack @ Bears[/b] The Bears are sliding and now meet a team that seems to have the sign over their QB. Jay Cutler is 1-6 against the Packers, going 115-of-216 for 1,383 yards, seven touchdowns and seventeen, count 'em, seventeen interceptions. Added to this, Chicago are carrying a number of key injuries, particularly on defense, where Brian Urlacher, Tim Jennings, Lance Briggs and Henry Melton are out or injured. Aaron Rodgers hasn't exactly had the visitor's offense purring this season, but they look like it's coming together with Randall Cobb stepping up,...

A tough pick, but this really hinges on whether Seattle can get Lynch rolling; if they do, I like them to cover. Chicago have begun giving up chunks of yardage against the run, but worryingly Marshawn Lynch had a poor game against the fins and he really needs to dominate today to keep the chains moving and to keep Cutler off the field. Rookie QB Russell Wilson has had a fine season, but his options are limited downfield and it is to the Seahawks' credit that they've got him in a system that gives him an opportunity to take shots deep; beware though, that could be a weakness today, as the Bears can bring pressure with four and force Wilson out of his comfort zone, physically and mentally. If ever the Chicago public needed confirmation that Cutler is their best option to make plays ...

Cutler is back (hands up who thought that would be the Bears' best news of the season!) but there's little doubt that behind a horrible offensive line, Jay cobbles together an attack that at least threatens to score where others can't; Jason Campbell was unlucky to come up against the 49ers, but he looked awful and part of the reason was the constant pressure he was under. It's not going to be a stroll for Cutler with Jared Allen and Brian Robison coming after him, but he should be able to get the ball to Brandon Marshall rather more often, and Marshall matches up nicely this week with his size advantage. Of course, Matt Forte is critical to the offense and he'll see the rock a lot, but Chicago need to get him catching out of the backfield; the Vikes' linebackers are OK in run D but...

Neither starting QB goes tonight and that seems to swing the game the home team's way. Campbell has a decent arm, but a laborious delivery because he spends too much time making decisions and he'll do it tonight against an aggressive D and behind a poor O line. As it is, Chicago will try to run the ball to limit his throwing/decision making, but the 49ers are a tough defense to run on and it may be a rough night under centre. Forte isn't really a smashmouth runner and may find the going tough too. I like Colin Kaepernick and if he were more polished, I'd take him every day over Alex Smith (so much so I've stashed him in a number of keeper leagues!) as it is I think Harbaugh will turn Kaepernick into a fine QB and it may be that tonight we'll see some of that potential: h's certainly...

A fascinating matchup to close out the night. Two really tough defenses will test offenses that aren't known for their innovative, devil-may-care approach. Matt Schaub is an efficient, error free game manager and he'll need to be patient tonight as the Bears are well organised deep and aggressive up front: of particular concern is the right side of the offensive line, where Idonije, McClellin and Melton could cause all sorts of problems. The Texans will need to lean on Arian Foster, but Chicago are tough against the run too and with a talented secondary and a dearth of a deep threat, if Foster doesn't dominate, the Texans could struggle to move the ball. Frankly, the same is true of the Bears: Matt Forte must get rolling against a stout run D to take the pressure off Cutler, who'll...

Da Bears have got it going on on defense: tough against the run and dominating with a well-organised zone defense deep. They will pressure Matt Stafford all day without having to send everyone and unless Detroit lean on the promising Mikel Leshoure, it may be a long night under centre. Matt Cutler won't have an armchair ride either, with his usual porous offensive line struggling to keep him upright. However, with Forte and Bush in the backfield, they have the ability to mix it up enough to let Cutler take some shots. The crucial difference may be on special teams where Chicago are once again strong. That, and their defense, should give them a touchdown's advantage. [b]Pick: Chicago Bears -6.5 @ 1.95[/b]