Week 2 of the NFL preseason continues Saturday afternoon which means it's time to dig into my Bengals vs. Bears predictions.
The two teams had a joint practice on Thursday, which typically means we will not see many starters in the actual preseason game since they got the reps in a controlled practice environment against each other. However, one team has different plans and we can't pass up this opportunity.
Let’s get into the best NFL picks for this preseason game on August 17.
Bengals vs Bears prediction
My best bet
Bears -6.5 (-112 at DraftKings)
My analysis
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has already announced that the Bengals will not be playing their starters in this contest after getting reps in a joint practice on Thursday in Chicago. That means no Joe Burrow, who is returning from an injury that ended his season last year, and no Jake Browning, who was injured in last week’s game.
This means Logan Woodside will get the start for the Bengals and likely play most of the game with only one other quarterback available –— rookie Rocky Lombardi. Woodside is an experienced quarterback in preseason play, playing well for both the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans in previous seasons. Last week, Woodside was 8/12 passing for 149 yards and a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
However, this week he will be going against the first-string defense to start, as the Chicago Bears have announced they will be playing their starters again this week. This means we will see more of Caleb Williams and his electric group of skill position players on offense. Last week, the star rookie was 4/7 passing for 95 yards including an acrobatic escape from pressure to dump off to D’Andre Swift for 42 yards.
After Williams and the starters exit, we will still see plenty of playmakers with Tyson Bagent taking over at quarterback and Khalil Herbert in at running back. Also, Hard Knocks stars Velus Jones Jr. and Ian Wheeler played excellent last week combining for 77 yards rushing and three touchdowns. The Bengals allowed 136 rushing yards last week to the Bucs.
Even if the Bears do not get scoring right away in this game, they will likely hold the Bengals enough early to start to run away with the score late. While this is a big spread for a preseason game, the Bears will have just a huge advantage at skill positions for the majority of this contest. It should be a double-digit win for Chicago.
Bengals vs Bears odds
Bengals vs Bears live odds
Bengals vs Bears opening odds
- Spread: Cincinnati +2.5 | Chicago -2.5
- Moneyline: Cincinnati +122 | Chicago -143
- Over/Under: Over 37.5 | Under 37.5
Bengals vs Bears betting trend to know
The Bears have covered the spread in seven of their last eight preseason games. Find more NFL betting trends for Bengals vs Bears.
Bengals vs Bears game info
| Location: | Soldier Field, Chicago, IL |
| Date: | Saturday, 8-17, 2024 |
| Kickoff: | 1:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NFL Network |
Bengals vs Bears weather
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