Chicago at Atlanta

Chicago scored 7 points at Green Bay last Sunday, and most of the damage came after halftime: the Bears trailed 14-7 and were outscored 17-0 in the second half. Before that, they had beaten Philadelphia by 20 and the Jets by 11. Caleb Williams, who has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury, practiced fully on Wednesday and Thursday. Chicago has allowed 14 or fewer first-half points in four straight games, 6 to Minnesota, 7 to Philadelphia, 3 to the Jets and 14 to Green Bay, and it has led at the half in three of its five games. Atlanta has led at the half in its last three games, 17-7 over Green Bay, 24-7 over New Orleans and 14-9 over Baltimore, after trailing Pittsburgh 13-7 and Carolina 20-3. Its first-half scoring in those five games was 7, 3, 17, 24 and 14, and Michael Penix Jr. was the quarterback for the last three after missing the first two. Chicago will be without defensive end Montez Sweat, who is suspended for two games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy. Chicago allows 19.2 points a game; Atlanta allows 24.4. I’m taking Chicago on the first-half spread Sunday afternoon.