Vegas Odds: Bears vs. Colts |
The Chicago Bears come to Indianapolis with a 1-1 record, looking to keep pace in the NFC North, while the Colts come into this game on Sunday, Sept. 22 (Noon / CBS), trying to get their first win of the season.
Right now, the undefeated team is favored with a spread of 1.5 points and an over / under of 43.5 points. Honestly, the fact that Indianapolis is favored is insulting to the Bears. While the Colts have kept it close in both of their games, they have not shown they can find ways to win this season. Conversely, the Bears have shown that they can win. Quarterback Anthony Richardson made some costly mistakes for the Colts last week, which is not all that surprising because he is still like a rookie. However, these are mistakes the Bears' defense can capitalize on; therefore, Chicago will cover the spread in this game. The over / under of 43.5 is rather surprising. Chicago and Indianapolis are both averaging 18.5 points per game. Thus, it does not seem probable they will combine for at least 44 points. The Bears' defense will also not allow the Colts to score many points. Therefore, for the third straight week, the under will prevail in this game. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams may not be putting up Heisman-like numbers, but there certainly was an improvement from the season opener to the second game of the season. Bettors seem to think Williams will take another jump with the over / under for passing yards set at 213.5. Indianapolis has struggled greatly against the run, so Chicago will most likely try to establish the run early. However, the Bears' run game has been poor. So, they may have to rely more on Williams, and because of that, he should hit the over in passing yards for the first time in his NFL career. If Williams is going to hit the over, he will need to throw the ball to his top receiver - DJ Moore. With veteran Keenan Allen looking like he may be out for a second straight week with a heel injury, Moore is without question the No. 1 receiver. He has 18 targets and 11 receptions through the first two games, but only 89 yards to show for it. The over / under for his receiving yards is currently at 66.5. For Williams to hit the over, Moore must also hit the over, so I would bet on Moore getting at least 66 receiving yards against Indianapolis. Running back D’Andre Swift has not been what the Bears have needed through the first two weeks. Yet, the over / under for Swift is surprisingly high at 55.5 yards. He only has 48 rushing yards total this season. Therefore, I would not trust Swift to hit the over even against one of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL and thus would take the under on Swift. Single Game Parlay I trust Williams to get more rushing yards than Swift. Therefore, I would also bet on Williams getting at least 25 rushing yards. With a same-game parlay with Chicago covering the spread, the under-hitting, Williams with at least 200 passing yards, Moore with at least 60 receiving yards, and Williams with at least 25 rushing yards, a $5 bet would have a $95 payout on DraftKings.
