Two Undefeated Teams Battle in Soldier Field

The NFL’s longest running rivalry will add another chapter to its 89 year, 179 regular season game history as the undefeated Green Bay Packers march into Soldier field to take on the undefeated Chicago Bears to determine dominance over the NFC North.

The 2-0 Packers are coming in on the strength of QB Aaron Rodgers who is averaging 221.5 yards per game and has four touchdowns and 2 interceptions so far and LB Clay Matthews who has had back-to-back three sack games. RB Brandon Jackson will have to step up the running attack tonight against the league’s leading rush defense.

The Bears have rallied behind QB Jay Cutler who after a disappointing 2009 season, leads the league with 324.5 yards per game and a passer rating of 121.2. The offensive line will have its hands full though protecting Cutler from the Packer pass rush.

Fox Business has evaluated the win/loss and stock market statistics over the past 20 seasons of Monday night NFL games and come up with a Monday Night Markets (MNM) rank for each team based on their record and the prior week’s market activity. Let’s take a look at what the markets have to say.

The Dow Industrials ended last week up 2.38% and the S&P 500 was up as well closing out the week with a gain of 2.05% extending the Index’s gains to four straight weeks, the longest for both since April. The markets responded positively to the Fed keeping rates unchanged and a durable goods reports that was double the expected increase. Congress also passed as $30 billion small business lending bill.

Over the past 20 years, the Packers have played 38 Monday night games and based on our calculations have a Monday night rank of .526 when the Dow closes the prior week up and .500 when the S&P 500 is up giving them a MNM rank for this week of .513.

During the same 20 year period, the Bears have played 25 Monday night games and have a rank of .308 when the Dow is up and .429 when the S&P 500 is up giving them an MNM rank this week of .369.

In this battle of the un-defeated, Monday Night Markets picks the Green Bay Packers to win on the road and take possession of first place in the NFC North.

2010 Monday Night Markets picks: 2-1

Week 3 FBN Staff Picks:

Packers v. Bears

Chris Cotter

Classic old school backyard grudge match. I have been surprised with Chicago so far. Jay Cutler may be in the midst of having a comeback season after throwing 1.8 million interceptions last season. The Packers are all banged up on offense, so QB Aaron Rodgers is going to have to be on target early and often. He will be. The Pack will beat their arch rivals and improve to 3-0 on the season…Season: 2-1

Sandra Smith

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS!! After being shot down by Phil Simms live on FBN from the NYSE about being a BEARS FAN, nothing would make me happier than to have the Bears win another game! Go Chicago!!

Season: 1-0