The Chicago Bears (1-0) and Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) meet in the second week of the NFL preseason. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The game will be broadcast live on NFL+.
The Bears are favored by -1.5 on the spread with the over/under set at 36.5 total points. Chicago is a -125 favorite to win on the moneyline, while Cincinnati is +105 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Bears vs. Bengals predictions and NFL picks for Saturday, August 22.
Bears vs Bengals Prediction
- Bears vs Bengals pick: Under 36.5 (-108)
My Bears vs Bengals best bet is on the under total points, with the best price currently available at DraftKings. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
Bears vs Bengals Odds
| Bears Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -108 | 36.5 -112o / -108u | -125 |
| Bengals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -112 | 36.5 -112o / -108u | +105 |
Bears vs Bengals NFL Preseason Preview
Chicago Bears Betting Preview
Even though the Bears sat their starters in their preseason opener, it's unlikely that they're going to see action against the Bengals in this matchup.
Head coach Ben Johnson publicly stated that he doesn't need to give Caleb Williams reps in the preseason, since he's seen first-team action during joint practices against the Bengals this week.
This tells me that we're likely to see another week of Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum, and Miller Moss at quarterback for the Bears.
The main skills group will likely be rounded out by running back Roschon Johnson and wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud.
Cincinnati Bengals Betting Preview
Unlike the Bears, the Bengals played their starters in the preseason opener.
Joe Burrow completed 5-of-6 passes for 39 yards in a 16-14 win over the Lions. However, head coach Zac Taylor has already confirmed that he'll be sitting his starters for this matchup.
That means that veterans Joe Flacco and Josh Johnson will handle the bulk of the reps at quarterback, joined by Sean Clifford.
With Bagent and Keenum on the other side, we can give a slight edge to the Bears at quarterback in this matchup.
Bears vs Bengals Prediction, Betting Analysis
While I don't like that we have to go under a key number of 37, where a common score line like 20-17 makes us lose this bet, I can't help but ride with Under 36.5 in this Bears vs Bengals game.
In a matchup filled with backups, it's hard to bet on much scoring, especially since most of their explosive offensive players will be on the bench for this one.
While 36.5 is obviously a very low number, at least we have a chance to hit this with a 17-17 result, since ties are much more common during preseason.
Simply put, I don't want to bet on the likes of Miller Moss and Sean Clifford to put up points for me. We'll go with a low-scoring game here.
Pick: Under 36.5 (-108)
Spread
The Bears are slight favorites at 1.5-points, even though they're on the road. This makes sense due to their slight advantage at quarterback.
Moneyline
If you want to go with the Bears, it feels safer to lay the points rather than spend more juice on the moneyline, since this game can really go either way.
Over/Under
Under 36.5 looks like the best bet in a game filled with backups.
