Bears vs. Commanders Point Spread: NFL Week 5 Odds, Prediction
The Commanders are 6.5-point favourites on the NFL odds.
TNF Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Both of these franchises are somewhat in the same boat right now in that they are rebuilding and not sure if their current young starting quarterback is the future: Third-year Justin Fields for Chicago and second-year Sam Howell for Washington. Both could take a QB high in the 2024 draft.
Neither head coach exactly has the best job security in the NFL. Matt Eberflus is only in Year 2 with Chicago but no franchise has been a bigger mess in the early going. Ron Rivera is as well-respected as any coach in the league and won two Coach of the Year Award with Carolina, but he hasn’t replicated that success in Washington. The Commanders were recently sold so new ownership may want to clean house in the offseason – and perhaps change nicknames yet again.
Washington has a 23-21-1 overall record against Chicago and a 13-11-1 record at home. They played in Week 6 on Thursday night in the Windy City last year and the Commanders won in a 12-7 baseball-type scores. Washington only had 214 yards offence but a miffed punt by the Bears led to Brian Robinson’s winning TD run with 7:21 left.
Chicago Bears
“Fire Matt Eberflus” was definitely trending after the winless Bears on Sunday somehow blew a 28-7 third-quarter lead at home and lost to the also-winless Denver Broncos 31-28. The same Broncos who allowed 70 points in Week 3. Chicago’s offence was not the problem in this loss as Justin Fields had the best passing game of his young career with 335 yards and four TDs on 28-for-35 passing. The defence is simply atrocious, and Eberflus is a defensive guy calling the plays with former DC Alan Williams leaving the team recently under unusual circumstances. The head coach also made the puzzling decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the Denver 18 with about three minutes left instead of kicking a field goal to break a 28-28 tie. The Bears were stopped and then Denver drove for the winning field goal. Chicago’s 14-game losing streak is a franchise record. Eberflus will not be the coach in 2024.
Washington Commanders
Washington gave defending NFC champion Philadelphia all it could handle on Sunday but lost 34-31 in OT on a 54-yard field goal late in OT. The Commanders tied it on a Sam Howell to Jahan Dotson 10-yard TD pass and the PAT with no time left in regulation. Perhaps Coach Ron Rivera should have gone for two and the win on the road? Howell threw for 290 yards and a TD and might actually be the long-term solution under centre. That’s if he can stay alive as Howell was sacked five more times Sunday and has gone down 24 times overall now. Sunday was the second time this season that Washington scored at least 30 points this year. The Commanders have not scored 30 or more points three times in a season since 2016. But the defence, supposed to be a strength, has allowed 30 in three straight.
CHI
WAS