SBR's Mike Spector writes The dawn of a new and exciting day is finally here for the Chicago Bears, who face the Miami Dolphins in Sunday's preseason opener for the teams from opposing conferences.
Our Dolphins vs. Bears prediction analyzes the chances of a low-scoring defensive slugfest while exploring what to expect from Miami's new quarterback, Zach Wilson.
Dolphins vs. Bears ATS prediction
Dolphins +3 ⭐⭐⭐
Best odds: -110 via BetMGM ($10 to win $9.09)
Chicago opened as a 2.5-point favorite but was bet up to the key number of 3 later in the week. But I'm not sure that movement was justified since Bears head coach Ben Johnson declared that at least 17 starters won't play on Sunday.
As with most preseason games, this wager comes down to which stable of backup quarterbacks you feel more confident in right now. Chicago’s Tyson Bagent is a respectable 2-2 in his career as a starter, but he also holds an unappealing 3-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his nine career appearances.
While Zach Wilson was a disaster leading the New York Jets, he's still logged much more game experience than Bagent.
This is only a three-star play, as the Commanders vs. Patriots game burned me when I went against the storyline of Mike Vrabel coaching in his first game with a new team. That has me hesitant to fade Johnson here. But I'll still back Mike McDaniel, who needs positive momentum given that his seat may be the hottest of any NFL coach.
Dolphins vs. Bears best bet
Under 34.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Best odds: -105 via DraftKings ($10 to win $9.52)
There are no player props available for this game at the best NFL betting sites currently due to the bevy of starters known to be ruled out. Accordingly, the total dipped from 35.5 to 34.5 mid-week, and I'm supporting the Under at the lower number in what should be an ugly contest between backups.
Ben Johnson openly talked about how he used the team’s scrimmages against the Dolphins to get his starters meaningful reps. And with Chicago’s players still getting used to a different offensive scheme featuring a new coaching staff, it should take time for the Bears' offense to gel.
Our Dolphins vs. Bears prediction analyzes the chances of a low-scoring defensive slugfest while exploring what to expect from Miami's new quarterback, Zach Wilson.
Dolphins vs. Bears ATS prediction
Dolphins +3 ⭐⭐⭐
Best odds: -110 via BetMGM ($10 to win $9.09)
Chicago opened as a 2.5-point favorite but was bet up to the key number of 3 later in the week. But I'm not sure that movement was justified since Bears head coach Ben Johnson declared that at least 17 starters won't play on Sunday.
As with most preseason games, this wager comes down to which stable of backup quarterbacks you feel more confident in right now. Chicago’s Tyson Bagent is a respectable 2-2 in his career as a starter, but he also holds an unappealing 3-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his nine career appearances.
While Zach Wilson was a disaster leading the New York Jets, he's still logged much more game experience than Bagent.
This is only a three-star play, as the Commanders vs. Patriots game burned me when I went against the storyline of Mike Vrabel coaching in his first game with a new team. That has me hesitant to fade Johnson here. But I'll still back Mike McDaniel, who needs positive momentum given that his seat may be the hottest of any NFL coach.
Dolphins vs. Bears best bet
Under 34.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Best odds: -105 via DraftKings ($10 to win $9.52)
There are no player props available for this game at the best NFL betting sites currently due to the bevy of starters known to be ruled out. Accordingly, the total dipped from 35.5 to 34.5 mid-week, and I'm supporting the Under at the lower number in what should be an ugly contest between backups.
Ben Johnson openly talked about how he used the team’s scrimmages against the Dolphins to get his starters meaningful reps. And with Chicago’s players still getting used to a different offensive scheme featuring a new coaching staff, it should take time for the Bears' offense to gel.
