Ravens vs. Bears injury report, spread, odds: Lamar Jackson will play, while Khalil Mack, Allen Robinson in doubt; Chicago NFL's worst bet after bye week

The Chicago Bears have been the NFL's worst bet by far since 2014 when coming out of a bye week as they will do Sunday when hosting the Baltimore Ravens. There are some serious injury questions for Chicago with ex-Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack and former Pro Bowl receiver Allen Robinson not having practiced this week through Thursday. Ravens quarterback and MVP candidate Lamar Jackson had missed the first two practices this week with an illness but was back Friday.

Well-coached teams usually win coming out of their bye week – think Andy Reid with the Eagles/Chiefs, Bill Belichick with the Patriots, John Harbaugh with the Ravens and Sean Payton with the Saints. Since 2014, the Bears' coaches have been the laughable Marc Trestman (one season), John Fox (three) and Matt Nagy (four), who is not going to see Season 5.

In that stretch, Chicago is an almost impossible 0-7 straight up and against the spread. Every other team has at least one straight up and ATS victory. Shoot, the sorry Lions are an NFL-best 7-1 ATS after a bye in that stretch (they had theirs already this year, why an eighth game).

Baltimore opened as a 6-point favorite at Caesars Sportsbook but that dropped to -4.5 because of the possibility Jackson might miss the game -- that's apparently a moot point now and the number should rise. Since taking over as Baltimore's starter midway through the 2018 season, Jackson has missed only two games despite taking so many hits as a runner: The meaningless 2019 season finale and Week 12 last season after testing positive for COVID-19. The former Heisman winner is now +1100 to win a second career MVP as Jackson ranks eighth in the NFL in passing (2,447 yards) and seventh in rushing (639).

This will be Jackson's first time facing the Bears (he did in his NFL debut in the 2018 Hall of Fame Game but that obviously doesn't count). He's 25-2 straight up in his career including playoffs when facing a team for the first time. Those losses came to Kansas City in the 2018 regular season and Tennessee in the 2019 playoffs. Baltimore enters Sunday 1-6 ATS as a favorite this year. Chicago is 0-2 ATS as a home dog, losing both by double digits.

Mack, fellow Pro Bowl defender Akiem Hicks and No. 1 wideout Robinson are in question for Sunday despite the Bears off their bye. Mack has missed the past two with a foot injury and if he sits this one out, the team will look stupid for not simply putting him on IR. Robinson and Hicks suffered injuries during the Bears' Week 9 loss to the Steelers.

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