Here Are The Patriots' Odds To Beat The Bears On Thursday Night Football

FOXBOROUGH, MA — The Patriots are hitting the road shorthanded and on a short week to face a team that has been on a similar trajectory the last few seasons.

The 4-2 Patriots are taking on the 4-2 Chicago Bears at Soldier Field Thursday night for a primetime matchup.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, New England is a 3 -point underdog against Chicago. Traditionally, home teams are usually handicapped three points in matchups that are not considered one-sided toward one team. The Patriots were 7.5-point home favorites this past Sunday against the New York Jets, and New York just barely covered with a late field goal to make the final score 26-19. The Pats did enough to win, however they may have to clean up many things about their performance if they want to defeat a superior opponent like Chicago. Quarterback Drake Maye had a third-straight above average performance, throwing three touchdown passes to three different receivers and not committing a single turnover. However, the Patriots are still committing turnovers, just the signal-caller has not been the catalyst of late. Wide receiver Demario “Pop” Douglas and running back Treveyon Henderson each lost a fumble that the Jets converted into field goals.

“We turn the ball over at a historic rate, and it’s ridiculous,” Head coach Mike Vrabel said in an interview on WEEI earlier this week. “It’s an embarrassment.”

The Patriots are second in the NFL in turnovers with 13, behind only the winless Los Angeles Chargers.

While many players have recently returned to the field from the injury list, others have unfortunately taken their place. Wide receiver Romero Doubs left the game after landing on his shoulder while laying out to catch a 42-yard touchdown pass, and he will now miss at least the next four games on injured reserve. Doubs is reportedly aiming to return after the team’s bye week in Week 11. Receiver A.J. Brown had a disappointing return from IR, recording only three catches for 27 yards and three drops. The all-pro is not expected to repeat that type of subpar performance, and he will need to play better without peers like Doubs and Mack Hollins suiting up.

“I didn’t play [well]. I don’t know, like my timing was off. I’m much better than what I put on display today,” Brown said in a press conference directly after the game. “There’s no excuses. I’ll be better.”

Later in the week, Brown emphasized that he has put the game in the proverbial rearview mirror and that he is ready to make plays tomorrow night.

The offensive line took a large hit on Sunday as well, with Morgan Moses, Ben Brown, and Alijah Vera-Tucker all exiting the game with injuries. The latter two have been ruled out for Thursday, however Moses was able to practice in a limited capacity throughout the week. Vrabel confirmed Wednesday that Walter Rouse and Matt Pryor will fill in as they did to close out the victory against the Jets.

The Bears are coming off a 31-23 victory on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. Quarterback Caleb Williams returned to the lineup after missing three games with a hamstring injury and had a performance that saw him complete 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards and no turnovers. He also began the game 12 for 12. Williams appears to be looking to prove some NFL fans wrong who poked fun at the arguably dramatic reaction he had to the injury he suffered.

“I saw one thing where it was Falcons, Falcons, Falcons, Falcons. Look up at the scoreboard and it's Bears,” Williams said in a postgame interview about ESPN analysts picking the Falcons to defeat the Bears.

Williams and Maye were selected first and third overall respectively in the 2024 NFL Draft. In their first and only matchup in 2024, Maye emerged victorious with a 19-3 victory in a season that was forgettable for both franchises.

How To Watch The Game

Kickoff: 8:15 p.m.

Network: Amazon Prime Video

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub