Prime-Time First TD Bets — Sunday Night Football, Week 16
Alex Christenson
The Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears head into week two after very different results in week one. The Bengals shocked the Minnesota Vikings when they defeated them in Overtime 27-24. Despite the offseason questions, their offense, led by Joe Burrow and rookie Ja’Marr Chase, put on a show against an improved Vikings defense. On the other end, the Chicago Bears predictably fell short to the LA Rams, scoring just 14 points behind quarterback Andy Dalton. While Bears fans are going to beg the team to turn to Justin Fields, we’re likely heading towards another week of Andy Dalton, going up against his former team.
Chicago Bears vs. Cincinnati Bengals Week 2 Odds
Date/Time: September 19, 1 p.m. ET
Arena: Soldier Field
How to Watch: Fox
Opening Odds: Bears -3 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Latest Bears vs. Bengals Odds
The Chicago Bears open as three-point favorites, which is a bit surprising given the results of week one. The Chicago Bears are known for their defense, but the team just gave up 38 points to the Rams in week one. However, going up against Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Robert Woods is probably more difficult than facing Joe Burrow, who is coming back from his knee injury from a year ago.
The over/under is set at just 45 points. That implies that the oddsmakers think the Bears’ defense is still good, and last week’s performance was a fluke.
Quarterback Analysis – Joe Burrow vs. Andy Dalton
After an offseason full of questions, Joe Burrow had an impressive first game back from his devastating knee injury. He completed 20/27 passes, throwing for 261 yards and two touchdowns while throwing no picks. Despite getting sacked five times, Burrow was cool, calm and collected in leading the Bengals to a surprising win over the Vikings.
For the Bears, it couldn’t have made fans happy when Andy Dalton threw a pick on his first drive of the day. Bears fans are clamoring to see Justin Fields get the job, but it appears Dalton will still be in charge shortly. The former Bengal Dalton’s 5.4 yards per attempt in week one is not going to inspire confidence in the Bears faithful. Expect lots of boos for Andy Dalton this weekend if he doesn’t improve his performance.
Latest Bengals Betting News & Info
Last week was a successful one for Bengals bettors. Not only did they cover the +3 spread but they also won outright against the Vikings. Bengals fans haven’t had much to cheer for the last few years, but week one looks like a sign of good things to come. Other than Joe Burrow’s progress, another reason to cheer was the connection between Burrow and his former LSU teammate. Ja’marr Chase, the 5th pick in the 2021 draft, struggled with drops in the preseason, but in week one he seemed to catch everything. He caught 5 passes for 101 yards, highlighted by a 50-yard bomb from Joe Burrow in the second quarter.
Latest Bears Betting News & Info
The bears certainly didn’t get off to the start they had hoped for in 2021. While Matt Nagy believes in Andy Dalton, the rest of the world thinks it is well past time for the team to turn to Justin Fields. The Bears traded up to select Fields in the draft, and he looked like the far superior quarterback in the preseason. But to the disappointment of Bears fans and fantasy football players alike, it sounds like Andy Dalton is going to get another shot in week two.
Bears vs. Bengals Betting Picks – NFL Week 2
Neither of these teams has had much success in recent history. Cincinnati is 6-18-1 straight up in its last 25 games, while the Bears are just 3-6 ATS in their last 9. While the public is likely to pick the Bears at home, I like the Vikings +3. If the line moves to +3.5, it makes a lot of sense to bet on the Bengals, but if it moves to just +2.5, bettors should be a little more cautious.
FTN Best Bets
- Over/Under: O45 (Draftkings Sportsbook)
- Spread: Bengals +3 (Draftkings Sportsbook)
For more information, betting picks, and analysis, check out the FTN NFL Bet Tracker.
How to Bet On this Game
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