49ers vs. Bears prediction: NFL Week 17 ‘Sunday Night Football’ picks, odds

The Bears head to the Bay Area to take on the 49ers on Sunday night in a battle between two NFC heavyweights. 

While star receiver Rome Odunze will miss another game with a stress fracture in his foot, Chicago got some good news on the injury front in their pass-catching corps. 

Rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III, who missed last week’s thrilling win over the Packers with an ankle injury, is set to return to the field. 

The Missouri product started slow, but has come on strong of late when healthy. 

Over his last six appearances, Burden has averaged 51.3 receiving yards with at least three catches in each contest. 

Burden has proven to be a YAC monster, flashing some serious big-play ability in the pass game. 

In his short career, Burden already has seven receptions of 20-plus yards, including a 65-yard touchdown in September and a 40-yard bomb in his last game. 

With Caleb Williams slinging it around against a bad 49ers pass defense, Burden could be in for another strong outing. 

Though you couldn’t tell by their record, opponents have been tearing San Francisco apart in the pass game, averaging 229.3 yards through the air per game.

Their pass rush has been almost non-existent without Nick Bosa, getting just 18 total sacks so far this season, which is seven fewer than every other team in the NFL. 

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With just a big play or two, Burden has a solid shot at reaching this receiving yard number.

The play: Luther Burden III Over 45.5 receiving yards (-130, FanDuel Sportsbook)

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Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.