Bears vs. Seahawks Odds
| Bears Odds | +3.5 |
| Seahawks Odds | -3.5 |
| Moneyline | +145 / -175 |
| Over/Under | 39.5 |
| Time | Thursday, 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
| Odds via BetMGM. | |
Two teams with a lot to figure out are set to open Week 2 of the NFL preseason tonight on ESPN.
The Bears are coming off a second-half comeback win over the Chiefs in Week 1, although that’s not especially encouraging since they were down 14-0 at halftime. Trevor Simian threw two touchdowns in the third quarter and was followed by Nathan Peterman, giving fans across Chicago nightmares of what could happen if Justin Fields gets hurt.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks lost their preseason opener but got encouraging performances from the two quarterbacks battling for the starting spot: Drew Lock and Geno Smith. Lock was 11-of-15 for 102 yards and two touchdowns, while Smith was 10-of-15 for 101 yards.
This will be Smith’s chance to shine, with Lock testing positive for COVID in the buildup to the game. Jacob Eason will follow the former Jets starter.
Seattle scored 25 points in its preseason debut, with DeeJay Dallas racking up 90 total yards of offense and Travis Homer 74. The offensive output will not be raising Seahawks fans expectations for this season, though.
We have two of our NFL betting analysts on the game, and they’re on the same side of the matchup.
The total was on the move on Thursday morning, starting the day at 40.5 before dipping down to 39.5. Generally, totals that high in the preseason tend to go under, as pointed out by Action Network's Chris Raybon.
Two of our betting experts are targeting bets backing Seattle tonight. Check out their predictions for the start of Week 2 in the NFL preseason below.
Bears vs. Seahawks Odds & Predictions
| Pick |
|---|
| Seahawks 1H |
| Seahawks ML |
Seahawks 1H
Brandon Anderson: Well, so much for the best laid plans of mice and men.
Seattle has finally moved on from Russell Wilson after so many successful years together, and that meant this year's preseason would be a very important QB battle between Drew Lock and Geno Smith. At least it was supposed to be.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday that Lock has tested positive for Covid and will miss the Bears game. That leaves Smith as the starter, and this could be a chance for him to get some extra playing time and make a real impression to grab hold of the job.
I'd put my money on Smith as the better QB anyway, the veteran who has settled in and established himself. Lock may have more raw talent, but Smith is the steadier hand, and in a game against perhaps the worst team in the conference, that may be enough.
This full-game line dropped from Seattle -5.5 to -3.5 with the Lock news, but I'm not sure that should've moved the needle much since I expect Smith to play enough of the first half to get us over the line. Justin Fields is still finding his way with the new offense too. I'll focus on those QBs in the first half and take advantage of the line move to ride with Geno and the Seahawks.
Note: This line was not available as of Wednesday night. My preferred pick is the 1H spread, otherwise I’ll take the 1H moneyline. If neither goes up, I’m on the Seahawks to cover for the game.
Seahawks ML (-175)
Sam Farley: A fresh week of NFL preseason begins as we get closer to the start to the regular season. Both teams come into this game looking to improve on what we’ve seen so far. The Bears have a victory over the Chiefs, while the Seahawks lost to the Steelers.
Pete Carroll’s plans to start Drew Lock have been scuppered, which means we’ll see a bit more of Geno Smith than intended and plenty of Jacob Eason. The QB competition is still alive, and each man will want to impress.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus has confirmed that the first string will get very limited reps, potentially as little as six plays, given that this is a short week for the Bears.
Pete Carroll may have lost the first game of this preseason but he’s always been effective in the preseason and his record sits at 26-18. That commitment to winning these types of games, in addition to the resting of a lot of Chicago starters should give the Seahawks the edge here.
