Rams And Bears Clash In Frigid NFC Divisional Showdown

The Windy City is bracing for a playoff showdown that promises drama, grit, and a whole lot of cold. On January 18, 2026, the Los Angeles Rams travel to Soldier Field to face the Chicago Bears in the NFC Divisional Round, a matchup loaded with history, storylines, and plenty of intrigue. The stakes? A coveted spot in the NFC Championship game, and with both teams coming off nail-biting victories, fans can expect fireworks—if not from the sky, then certainly on the field.

Let’s start with the weather, because it’s not just a talking point—it’s a major player tonight. According to AccuWeather, conditions at kickoff will be nothing short of brutal: 19 degrees Fahrenheit, but with a biting wind chill making it feel like -5. Winds are set to howl at 22 mph, gusting up to 33 mph, and there’s a 70% chance of precipitation with a dusting of snow expected. Neither team’s been caught off guard, but it’s fair to wonder: will the weather be the Bears’ twelfth man?

Both squads have some experience in the cold. The Bears, no strangers to frigid football, have already played three games this season with temperatures at or below freezing, going 2-1 in those contests. The Rams, meanwhile, are 2-2 in freezing weather under head coach Sean McVay since 2017, and quarterback Matthew Stafford is an even 3-3 in such games throughout his career. Still, nothing quite prepares you for Chicago’s winter winds whipping off Lake Michigan.

The game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. MST (6:30 p.m. ET) and will be broadcast on NBC, with Mike Tirico on play-by-play and Cris Collinsworth providing analysis. For those streaming, FUBO and Peacock have you covered. The Bears enter as the NFC’s No. 2 seed after a dramatic Wild Card victory over the Green Bay Packers, while the Rams, seeded fifth, survived a scare against the Carolina Panthers thanks to a clutch late touchdown.

Let’s dig into the numbers. The Rams boast a 13-5 record (including playoffs) and are 12-6 against the spread, with an 11-7 over/under record. Los Angeles opened the season with a projected win total of 10.5 and has covered the spread in two-thirds of their Divisional Round games since 1970. On the flip side, the Bears stand at 12-6 (including playoffs), with a 10-7-1 ATS record and a 9-9 O/U mark. Chicago opened with an 8.5 win total and, while not as strong ATS in the Divisional Round historically (just 2-7 since their Super Bowl XX win), they have covered in eight of their last ten home meetings with the Rams.

Quarterback play will be under the microscope. For the Rams, Matthew Stafford is coming off a season in which he led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. He’s just one game away from tying Aaron Rodgers’ league record for consecutive playoff games (nine) with at least two touchdown passes. Stafford also has a postseason-record four straight 300-yard passing performances on the road and could join legends Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as the only quarterbacks with two seasons of at least 50 regular-season and playoff TD tosses combined. No pressure, right?

On the Bears’ side, rookie sensation Caleb Williams is writing his own story. Despite a rocky start in his playoff debut—two interceptions and no touchdowns through three quarters—Williams erupted for 361 passing yards and two touchdowns to spark a 25-point fourth quarter against Green Bay. If he throws multiple TD passes again, he’ll tie the franchise record of seven consecutive games with multiple scoring passes, a mark set by Erik Kramer in 1995. Williams is also chasing history as one of only a handful of Bears quarterbacks to win multiple games in a single postseason, joining the likes of Sid Luckman, Jim McMahon, and Rex Grossman.

Weapons abound for both teams. For the Rams, wide receiver Puka Nacua is a name to watch. He scored nine touchdowns in 16 regular-season games and found the end zone twice in the Wild Card win—once through the air and once on the ground. Nacua has been a double threat, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors twice in 2025, and has amassed eight touchdowns in his last six outings. The Bears’ secondary will have their hands full, especially considering they allowed four different Green Bay receivers to score last week.

Chicago’s own receiving corps is a bit banged up, with second-year standout Rome Odunze questionable due to a lingering foot injury. That puts added pressure on the likes of DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus, who both caught crucial passes in the Bears’ comeback win. Head coach Ben Johnson has shown a knack for exploiting defensive weaknesses, and tonight he’ll need every trick in the playbook to keep up with a Rams offense that can score in bunches.

Historically, the Bears have held the upper hand in this matchup, winning 23 of 37 all-time meetings. The only previous postseason encounter was a one-sided affair: Chicago’s 23-0 rout of Los Angeles in the 1985 NFC Championship Game en route to their Super Bowl triumph. But recent history favors the Rams as a road favorite—they’re just the fourth team since 1970 to be favored on the road twice in one postseason. The Bears, meanwhile, are only the fourth team to be a home underdog twice in the same postseason. Notably, two of the previous three teams in that spot made the Super Bowl.

Betting markets reflect the uncertainty. The Rams opened as 3.5-point favorites, briefly climbed to -4.5, but have settled back to -3.5. The over/under total has dropped from 51.5 to 48.5, likely in response to the harsh weather forecast. Money line odds sit at Rams -200 and Bears +165. ESPN’s analytics give Los Angeles a 61.9% chance to win, while Chicago sits at 38.1%. However, several analysts, including Jeremy Cluff of The Arizona Republic and Jake Matson of Asbury Park Press, are picking the Bears to pull off the upset, citing home field advantage, momentum, and the Rams’ recent defensive struggles.

“Caleb Williams and company will continue their magical season with an upset over Matthew Stafford and the Rams,” wrote Cluff, reflecting the growing belief that Chicago’s resilience—seven fourth-quarter comebacks this season—could be the difference-maker.

So, what’s at stake? The winner punches their ticket to the NFC Championship, while the loser faces a long, cold offseason. With both teams healthy (aside from Odunze’s status), the stars aligned, and the elements adding an unpredictable twist, fans are set for a classic playoff battle.

As the teams take the field under the lights—and the swirling Chicago snow—all eyes will be on Soldier Field. With history, weather, and high drama in play, this divisional clash is shaping up to be one for the ages. Don’t blink; this one could go down to the wire.