Bears vs Colts Odds, Pick, Prediction: NFL Preseason Preview

We're looking to make a Bears vs. Colts pick in Saturday’s preseason tilt, which had the potential to be one of the most exciting games of the weekend with electric young guns Justin Fields and Anthony Richardson each handling a handful of snaps.

Alas, head coach Matt Eberflus robbed us of that opportunity. He announced on Thursday evening that Fields and most of Chicago’s regulars won’t play, which is becoming all too common across the NFL after teams square off during the week in joint practices.

Meanwhile, as of Friday afternoon, head coach Shane Steichen remained tight-lipped about Indianapolis' plans. However, reporters following the Colts closely believe even if they do trot out their starters, it likely won’t be for long.

Bears vs. Colts has the makings of a snoozefest, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn our sharp report tracks 71% of the bets and 90% of the money backing the under.

I’m in agreement, mainly for one very obvious reason. Let’s dig in and make a Bears vs. Colts pick.

Some offenses are equipped to not miss a beat when forced to hand the reigns over to backup quarterbacks. The Bears don’t figure to be one of those teams.

Behind Fields, they boast an unimpressive QB room comprised of P.J. Walker, Nathan Peterman and Tyson Bagent. Chicago will trot out some combination of those three at Lucas Oil Stadium, but no matter who is under center, we’ll likely see the offense sputter.

After all, that’s exactly what happened last week in the Bears’ preseason opener.  Chicago put up 14 first-quarter points against the Titans with Fields leading the charge but managed only three field goals behind this trio of backups the rest of the way.

Additionally, there’s a good chance that Walker, Peterman and Bagent are under duress all night. While the Colts defense doesn’t exactly strike fear in the hearts of opponents, it might not matter as they’ll go up against a Chicago offensive line that was last in pass protection a year ago, per Football Outsiders.

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Meanwhile, Anthony Richardson was named the Colts’ starting quarterback this week. While Indy is keeping things close to the vest, it makes sense to play the rookie for a bit. The fourth-overall pick needs all the reps he can get heading into the regular season.

Either way, Indianapolis’ pair of backup quarterbacks are more than capable of moving the ball downfield against the Bears. Gardner Minshew is arguably better than several starting quarterbacks in the league, and Sam Ehlinger got valuable experience a year ago, appearing in four games with three starts in the Colts’ dumpster-fire 2022 campaign.

The pair of backups performed admirably in the preseason opener a week ago, combining to complete 14-of-15 passes for 144 yards and a pair of touchdown drives. However, the Colts offense certainly won’t be mistaken for the Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck-led units of the past.

The under was a popular pick even before the Bears announced Fields and most of their regulars weren’t suiting up, with 60% of bets and 66% of money banking on both offenses to struggle. As noted earlier, those numbers have since shifted to 71% of the bets and an overwhelming 90% of the money backing the under.

My preseason predictions always come with the caveat that there are too many variables to truly feel confident. However, in this case, I’m comfortably aligned with the public and big money based on who’ll be quarterbacking the Bears.

I'm taking the under even at the low number of 37.5.