The Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears will face off in NFL Preseason Week 1. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. ET from Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. The game will broadcast live on NFL Network.
The Browns are favored by -3.5 with the over/under set at 40.5 total points. Browns is a -175 favorite to win outright, while Bears is +138 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Browns vs. Bears predictions and NFL picks for Saturday, August 15
My Browns vs Bears Prediction
- Browns vs Bears pick: Bears +3.5 (-122, FanDuel)
My Browns vs Bears best bet is on the Bears to cover the spread with the best price currently available at FanDuel. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
Browns vs Bears Odds
| Browns Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -122 | 40.5 -110o / -110u | -175 |
| Bears Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -105 | 40.5 -110o / -110u | +138 |
Browns vs Bears Preseason Preview
Cleveland Browns Betting Preview
The Cleveland Browns never make it easy for themselves — having two co-starters at quarterback doesn’t seem like the most sensible decision, or perhaps it’s just politics with Deshaun Watson feeling most likely to be starting in Week 1 of the regular season
That quarterback battle feels like the key story in this matchup, with Watson confirmed to start this game and Shedeur Sanders set to start next time out against the Bills. New head coach Todd Monken has said that the plan is for Watson to get the entire first half, followed by Sanders taking the third quarter — leaving a chance to see either Dillon Gabriel or Taylen Green in the fourth quarter.
While Monken has been clear about the quarterbacks, we’re less certain on the rest of his starters, although it seems like we’ll see them for at least the start of the game. He’s gone on the record as saying that his decision will ultimately rest on who the Chicago Bears have on the field, and how much they rotate through their depth chart.
The expectation is that Spencer Dano, Tytus Howard, Zion Johnson, Teven Jenkins and Elgton Jenkins will be starting on the offensive line, so Watson should have solid protection for at least the first series, if not the first quarter.
Injuries to Carson Schwesinger, Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell have left the defense short, so expect battles there to get playing time in their absence.
Chicago Bears Betting Preview
One thing we know is that we won’t see Caleb Williams suit up against the Browns, with Ben Johnson confirming that his QB1 and several other starters won’t be playing.
That means we’re going to see plenty of Tyson Bagent, with an expectation of a whole half of play. Bagent has always looked reasonable when called upon for the Bears, and with Case Keenum and Miller Moss on the depth chart, there’s some experience available.
Johnson will be using this game to help answer big questions from camp, one of which is who’ll be at left tackle.
Braxton Jones should have that spot in theory, but with Ozzy Trapilo out, it’s far from a lock. So expect to see Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills share responsibility for protecting the quarterback on Saturday, with both hoping they can do enough to secure that spot come the opening game of the season.
Exactly who will and won’t be playing, bar Williams, is hard to know, with Johnson only saying that “there will be a handful of guys that aren’t participating in this matchup,” but it's fair to assume that Rome Odunze and Coston Loveland won’t be playing. Neither will injured Luther Burden in the receiving corps.
That should mean a sprinkle of Zavion Thomas, whom the Bears took in the third round, and new signing Ray-Ray McCloud. Elsewhere, we should see the battle for the RB3 spot continue with Roschon Johnson at risk of losing that spot.
Browns vs Bears Prediction, Betting Analysis
With a 2-0 record in preseason, we’re yet to see Johnson lose, and despite being underdogs, I’d expect them to win here.
Bagent isn’t a top level quarterback, but he's probably one of the better backups in the league, and the Bears are 2-2 with him as a starter. There are always reports of interest in the former Shepherd man, and a good performance in preseason could boost his trade value.
Once he hits the bench, the team will have Keenum and Miller under center. While Miller was an undrafted free agent, Keenum is a solid NFL veteran. He’s had 82 career games and 68 starts — he’s a solid, if unspectacular game manager who should be able to get his team, even if they’re third-stringers or bubble guys, over the line.
For the Browns, we have an offensive line lacking real depth, a first-time head coach in Monken who is, as of yet, unproven and a quarterback battle between two players whom the rest of the league clearly doesn’t rate.
This version of Deshaun Watson is a far cry from the one we saw with the Texans and Sanders is still incredibly raw. The battle for that starting spot could spur both players on, but it feels more of a hindrance than anything.
There feels like a lot more uncertainty with the Browns right now, whereas we at least know what to expect from the Bears’ second stringers. Take the known quantity and the points.
Pick: Bears +3.5 (-122, FanDuel)
