The Chicago Bears host the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 of the NFL preseason at noon on Saturday. Justin Fields and the Bears are consensus 4.5-point favorites.
The second preseason game is when second-stringers often get plenty of burn. That means we’ll see a lot of Fields, and also a lot of Mitchell Trubisky, the new Bills No. 2 quarterback. Of course, Trubisky and the Bears “have a history,” as they say.
Chicago impressed in its preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins. The Bears won 20-13, and Fields looked as dynamic as advertised, accounting for 175 yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon.
Here are the Bears vs. Bills odds at Illinois online sportsbooks.
Bears vs. Bills odds
Check out the top lines at online sportsbooks in Illinois:
The Bills won their preseason opener by a score of 16-15 against the Detroit Lions. During the regular season, the Bears almost certainly wouldn’t be favored against the Bills, who made the AFC Championship game last season.
But preseason NFL betting is different, as the lines are more predicated on which players are expected to get the most snaps. In an effort to get Fields as many exhibition professional reps as possible, he’s a likely candidate to play at least half of the game. Considering how good he looked against Buffalo, it makes sense that Chicago is favored.
On the other side, Bills star quarterback Josh Allen is unsure if he’ll play against the Bears. He didn’t suit up vs. Detroit, and even if he plays against Chicago, it appears unlikely he’d get a substantial run.
Against the Lions, even Trubisky only attempted two passes. Davis Webb and Jake Fromm received the bulk of the work, combining for 29 pass attempts.
And while nobody in Chicago is too excited about Nick Foles, one could reasonably argue that he’s the best third-string quarterback in the league. And, when betting on the preseason, that matters quite a bit.
The Bears opened as 4-point favorites, so they’ve been bet up half-a-point. The Bears line has also moved toward the over.
DraftKings ‘freezing’ Fields’ Rookie of the Year odds
At most sportsbooks, Fields is around +500 to win the Rookie of the Year Award. DraftKings in Illinois, however, is freezing Fields’ odds at +850.
The promotional copy mentions how Fields put on a show in his preseason debut. The boost expires at kickoff on Saturday, and the maximum bet is $25.
At +850 odds, the bet could cash a maximum of $237.50.
Trevor Lawrence of the Jaguars is the consensus favorite to win the award, but it’s easy to see a path for Fields if he gets playing time.
And, of course, that’s the topic everyone in Chicago is debating right now. Should Fields start immediately over Andy Dalton, or wait until the schedule softens a bit?
The Bears open the season on Sunday Night Football against the Rams, and they just signed 39-year-old Jason Peters with the likely intent of making him their starting left tackle. While Fields is probably already better than Dalton, that’s certainly not an ideal spot for a rookie.
Still, he might simply show too much talent to justify starting Dalton. There will be a lot of eyes on Bears vs. Bills on Saturday, and as a result, a good amount of betting action as well.
