Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will officially start against the Bears in Week 8.
Vegas adjusted Sunday morning following news that Daniels was expected to start. Roughly a half hour after midnight on the East Coast, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Daniels — listed as questionable with a rib injury — would essentially be a pregame decision, with signs pointing toward the rookie suiting up against the Bears.
On Sunday morning, in a span of a few hours, the line shifted, making the Commanders 1.5-point favorites (+100) at BetMGM.
Daniels originally suffered his rib injury last week on Washington’s first offensive play against the Panthers. Veteran Marcus Mariota replaced Daniels, leading the Commanders to a 40-7 win.
Daniels is off to a torrid start to his NFL career. The LSU product and Heisman Trophy winner has completed an NFL-high 75.6% of his passes, throwing for 1,410 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions while also rushing for 372 yards and four scores.
This week’s matchup against the Bears pits the two betting favorites for Offensive Rookier of the Year — Daniels (-140) and Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams (+105) — against one another in a highly-anticipated contest. Daniels is also currently among the betting favorites to win NFL MVP (+1400) at BetMGM.
At 5-2, Washington is one of the biggest surprises of the NFL season. The Commanders currently boast the second-best odds (+135) of winning the NFC East, only trailing the Eagles (+120).
The 4-2 Bears have also surprised in a contentious NFC North. While Chicago has the lowest odds to win the division at +1200, the Bears enter the weekend +165 to make the playoffs at BetMGM.
