Buffalo Bills vs. Chicago Bears Betting Preview

Week 2 of the NFL preseason will continue Saturday afternoon with an AFC versus NFC matchup as the Buffalo Bills (1-0) take on the Chicago Bears (1-0). The Bears will host this one at Soldier Field, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 pm ET.

The Bills are coming off of a 16-15 victory over the Detroit Lions last week. In the victory, Davis Webb led the team in passing with 90 yards and a touchdown, while Devin Singletary had 42 yards rushing on just eight attempts.

The Bears were also able to pick up their first victory last week, a 20-13 win over the Miami Dolphins. All eyes were on first-round pick Justin Fields, who threw for 142 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 33 yards and another score.

The Bears are the heavy favorites playing at home. They are -200 to win while the Bills’ moneyline sits at +170. The spread features Buffalo +4.5 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 38.

By The Numbers

Last season, Buffalo was one of the best offenses in the NFL. They ranked third in scoring averaging 29.9 points per game. The Bears ranked 23rd, averaging 22.4 points.

Defensively, it was the Bears with the slight edge. They ranked 13th in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 23 points per game. The Bills ranked one spot behind them at 14th, allowing 23.2 points.

Current Season Odds

The Bills are the overwhelming favorites to win the AFC East at -150. The Bears have just the third-best odds to win the NFC North at +500.

In terms of winning the Super Bowl, the Bills have the third-best odds in the NFL at +1200 to win Super Bowl LVI. The Bears are just +5500 to bring home the championship.

Bills’ Starter Familiar With Soldier Field

While preseason games are more about getting work in and trying to impress coaches, there could be a little bit of a revenge factor on Saturday.

With Josh Allen sitting out of this one, the Buffalo Bills will turn to Mitch Trubisky to start under center. After playing the first four seasons of his career with Chicago, he now has an opportunity to hit reset in Buffalo as Allen’s backup.
Last season, with Chicago, Trubisky threw for 2,055 yards, 16 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also rushed 33 times for 195 yards and another score.

While Trubisky may only play in the first half, he will certainly try to make the most of his opportunity and show the Bears that they made a mistake letting him go.

Bears Quarterbacks Will Be On Full Display

After moving on from Trubisky, general manager Ryan Pace went to work filling the Chicago Bears quarterback position with both a veteran and a rookie. On the one hand, Andy Dalton brings a wealth of experience, but rookie Justin Fields brings the excitement of what could be.

Given that Fields has yet to get much work with the ones, it seems like it will be Dalton starting the season, and this game, under center. Last season, with Dallas, he threw for 2,170 yards, 14 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 11 games (nine started).

Given that Dalton is on just a one-year deal and Fields could be the future face of the franchise, it would not be shocking to see him take over midway through the season.

In terms of this game, expect him to bring the same excitement that he brought when he entered last week’s game, a potentially huge boost to the second unit.

Take Chicago To Win And Cover

Sometimes the better football teams are the worst in preseason football, and that applies here. The Bills know that they are set up for a strong season and value health over preseason wins.

As a result, quarterback Josh Allen, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and others will sit this one out. With the Bears playing both of their top quarterbacks, and several others fighting for spots on the final roster, expect the Bears to have the advantage in this one.

Take Chicago to win and cover the 4.5-point spread.