The 2-1 Indianapolis Colts hit the road to take on the Nick Foles led Chicago Bears in Week 4. Foles replaced Mitch Trubisky in the third quarter of last week’s come-from-behind road win against the Atlanta Falcons. In less than one half, Foles threw for 188 yards, three touchdowns, and possibly threw Trubisky out of Chicago.
Kickoff is scheduled at 1:00 PM Eastern. The Bears are one-and-a-half point favorites, and the over/under is set at 43.
The Season So Far
The Colts have quietly started 2-1 with wins over the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings in the first three weeks. Their opponents are more than likely the culprit behind the quietness, as both the Jets and Vikings are winless this season.
Philip Rivers has been relatively pedestrian for Indy overall, but he completed 17-of-21 passes in last week’s win over the woeful Jets. Thus far, the defense has been the star for Frank Reich’s team, giving up just 15 points per game through the first three weeks.
This game should be an excellent litmus test for both a good Colts team looking for a quality win and a Bears team heading in a new direction with a new quarterback.
Can Rivers Ride Out of the Windy City With a Win?
As mentioned above, the schedule has been pretty tame for Mr. Rivers so far. This Chicago defense presents a serious uptick in talent from what the Colts have seen to date. The flip side to that coin is that the Chicago defense has not played up to expectations this season. Whether that means that the Bears are “due” for a big game or that they aren’t as good as advertised remains to be seen.
The Colts are 2-1 against the spread so far on the season and 0-1 straight up on the road. They have gone under in two of the three weeks in 2020, and in four of their last six games dating back to last season. It’s difficult to take numbers before this season into account because Rivers wasn’t there; however, Frank Reich was still the coach, so there may be something to that. The Colts are also 0-6 straight up in their last six games on the road.
Bears Have a Super Bowl MVP At the Helm
Nick Foles is a Super Bowl winner and an MVP. The Bears traded for him during the offseason for a reason, and it looks like a good move heading into Week 4. The Bears looked like a different and more inspired team once Foles took the reins of the offense. Let us not forget, Foles has a 26-22 record in his career.
In their past 15 games, the Bears are 4-11 against the spread, but they are 4-1 straight up in their last five games. The total has gone over in five of Chicago’s last seven games, but under in 15 of their last 20 games played on Sunday.
My Pick
I think the most comfortable pick here is the over 43. I am very hesitant to put a ton of faith in Rivers right now, given what I have seen through the first three weeks. His lack of rapport’ with T.Y. Hilton so far is troublesome to me. However, the Colts have still managed to move the ball well and put up points.
On the flip side, Foles came out with a vengeance last week in his campaign to usurp Trubisky while showing excellent chemistry with Allen Robinson. If that chemistry continues, the Bears offense will continue to roll. I’m taking the Bears (-1.5) at home by a field goal.
