Betting on Justin Fields and the Bears on Thursday Night

• The Chicago Bears are a one-point favorite over the Washington Commanders for their Thursday Night Football Matchup this week.
• Justin Fields has rarely been a favorite in his NFL career, but when has been he has made it count, winning every game.
• Betting on the Bears to continue that trend based on Fields and the Commanders’ dysfunction is a strong bet.

CHICAGO – For the third time in Justin Fields’ career the Chicago Bears will be home favorites when they host the 1-4 Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football.

Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders Odds

Team:	Spread:	Moneyline:	Total:
Washington Commanders	+1.0 (-110)	EVEN	O37.5 (-110)
Chicago Bears	-1.0 (-110)	-120	U37.5 (-110)

Betting on the Chicago Bears

Justin Fields has a 4-11 record as a starter in the NFL. That is not a sterling record by any means, but it is largely influenced by the fact that Fields has little to no talent around him.

In games in which those talent issues have been minimized (i.e. the Bears entering the game as the favorite), Chicago has played very well.

The games that the Chicago Bears have been favored in with Justin Fields starting are few and far between, but the team has taken advantage. Those games have been:

• Week 3, 2022 Season: The Chicago Bears hosted the Houston Texans, defeating the team 23-20. The Bears were favored by three so it resulted in a push, but they still won. The game went over the 39.5-point total.
• Week 4, 2021 Season: In Fields’ second game as a starter the Chicago Bears faced one of their division rivals, the Detroit Lions. The Bears beat the Lions 24 to 14, covering the three-point spread. The lackluster scoring effort by the Lions led to the game going under the 41.5-point total.
• Week 2, 2021 Season: Fields did not start this game, but following an injury to Andy Dalton he played more than half the game. Fields did not score any touchdowns, but he was a steadying enough presence to lead the Bears to a 20-17 victory over the eventual Super Bowl runner-up Cincinnati Bengals. Chicago was a two-point favorite, meaning they covered the spread. Both teams combined to score 37 points, causing this game to go under the 44.5-point total.

There is no doubt that the Chicago Bears have struggled with Justin Fields, but they do win the games that they are supposed to.

As the betting favorites, it may be worth betting on Fields to lead the Bears to victory once again.

Betting Against the Washington Commanders

Betting on the Washington Commanders has been an extremely tough task this season, as their 1-4 record both against the spread and straight up is tied for the worst in the league.

Those numbers get even worse when factoring in their status as an underdog, as the Carson Wentz-led team is 0-3 ATS and straight up.

Simply put, the Commanders have not been scoring enough points in those games. That is proven by the fact that the over is also 0-3 when Washington is an underdog.

Based on his response to a question regarding the team’s issues, Head Coach Ron Rivera pointed the proverbial finger directly at Carson Wentz.

“Why do you think the teams in the division are farther ahead at this point?”

Ron Rivera: “quarterback”

👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/aNJjKIEuZp

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 10, 2022

The dysfunction within the team may cause a distraction heading into Week Six and the near future, so much so that Bovada has given Ron Rivera +950 odds to be the next coach to permanently leave their position. Those +950 odds are the fourth shortest in the entire NFL.

Betting on the Commanders’ dysfunction and the Bears’ strength as a favorite means that the best bet of the Thursday Night Football matchup is on Chicago to cover the spread.