Raiders vs. Bears Point Spread: NFL Week 7 Odds, Prediction
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Edgar Chaput
Josh McDaniels’ ensemble has done itself a favour by climbing out of an early 1-3 hole by winning two consecutive contests, most recently 21-17 against the New England Patriots. The Bears find themselves once again staring into the abyss, having lost at home to the Vikings last Sunday and now might have to play without Justin Fields.
The oddsmakers still see this one as a close game, with Las Vegas currently no more than a -3 favourite on the NFL odds.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Chicago and Las Vegas played each other just two seasons ago when the Bears defeated the Raiders in Nevada. For that matter, Chicago has a 3-2 edge over their interconference rivals, although the oldest of those meetings dates to 2007. Coaches, players, and even one of the team’s cities have changed since.
In a close reflection of how Las Vegas’ campaign has gone thus far, their efforts against the spread have resulted in a 3-2-1 tally. They haven’t failed to cover a spread in three games, having won twice and another match concluding with a push. The under has connected five times already, a testament to how much of a struggle it’s been scoring points this season.
Chicago’s record ATS is barely any better than their outright 1-5 effort in the standings. They’ve gone 1-4-1 through six weeks. Their lone success was their lone win on the calendar and the push was the Denver match in which they coughed up a lead in the second half. Up until last Sunday, the over had earned the spoils five times in a row, but mostly because other teams scored boatloads of points.
Las Vegas Raiders
Two seasons in a row now Josh McDaniels has gotten the better of his former mentor, Bill Belichick. It remains to be seen if 2023 is the year when such an accomplishment will mean anything down the road.
The Las Vegas Raiders hosted the New England Patriots in Week 6 and squeaked their way to a 21-17 win. It was not the most thrilling game, hampered in part by QB Jimmy Garoppolo’s departure due to a back injury. The Raiders racked up 348 yards on the Patriots, which sounds decent in theory. In truth, they rarely cashed in once in the red zone, and 21 total points pales in comparison to what recent Patriots opponents put up on the currently hapless team. RB Josh Jacobs (77 yards on 25 carries) continues to provide no better than lukewarm results after almost holding out this past summer and Davante Adams finally met a match that could contain him (two catches, 29 yards). Still, a win is a win and this Raiders group needs to take advantage of all the comparably “easy” games it’s awarded with Brian Hoyer potentially under centre.
QB Jimmy Garoppolo (back) is questionable.
Chicago Bears
What is it like to be a Bears fan? So often seasons end in scattered ashes. Chicago is rarely in the hunt for a playoff spot and on the precious few occasions when there is a glimmer of hope, fate decides otherwise.
After thumping Washington the week before (and putting up a very good offensive display a fortnight ago) there was reason to believe a modest winning streak was in store when the Vikings – sans Justin Jefferson – came to town. The complete opposite happened, with Minnesota’s defence showing up to play for once. Justin Fields was virtually a non-factor right up until he severely injured a thumb, which took him out of the match. His backup Tyson Bagent certainly looked like a young QB with no NFL experience. Another frustrating element was that Chicago’s defence played well too. The Vikings are not the same operation without Jefferson at wide receiver and the Bears, to their credit, made their opponent look mediocre. It still didn’t matter, as they lost a sleeper, 19-13.
QB Justin Fields (thumb) is doubtful.
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