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Buffalo Bills vs Chicago Bears Preview
The Buffalo Bills preseason begins when they welcome the Chicago Bears to Bills Stadium on August 10 at 1:00 pm ET. The Bears started their preseason with a win, albeit on a technicality after the officials cut the game short following severe weather conditions.
The Bills lost some of their biggest stars in the offseason and their depth has taken an enormous hit. Can Buffalo get off to a winning start in their preseason opener or will Chicago make it two from two?
Buffalo Bills vs Chicago Bears Head-To-Head and Key Stats
This meeting will be the first time these two sides have clashed since Christmas Eve 2022 in week 16 of the regular season at Soldier Field. The Chicago Bears led 10-6 at the break following a Dante Pettis touchdown and a field goal, but they came unstuck in a disastrous second half.
The Buffalo Bills mauled the Bears in the third and fourth quarters, scoring 29 points. Devin Singletary and James Cook scored a pair of running touchdowns in under three minutes to hand Buffalo a two-score lead at 21-10.
A Chicago field goal brought them within a score, but they never looked likely to push on from that. Josh Allen scored a touchdown of his own before finding Dawson Knox for his second passing TD of the night, sealing a 35-13 victory for the Bills. The Bears have won eight of their 14 meetings with the Bills, holding bragging rights in this fixture.
Home Alone in Chicago.#GoBills | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/is074c9Aff
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 25, 2022
The Bears had a terrible start to 2023. They lost their first four fixtures, including a season opener against bitter rivals, the Green Bay Packers. Inconsistency marred the rest of their season, but a late rally saw them end their final six games 4-2. They ended a disappointing season at the bottom of the NFC North with a 7-11 record.
The Bears tied an NFL record for most blown double-digit 4th quarter leads, at three. Their pass defence was poor, their running offence was non-existent, and their blocking left much to be desired. The Chicago play design meant there were some big decisions to make in the offseason.
They stuck with coach Matt Eberflus but fired the offensive coordinator Luke Getsy in favour of Shane Waldron. The biggest decision to be made was the future of quarterback Justin Fields. His OC let him down and Chicago decided it was time to go in a different direction.
They traded Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March and the Bears’ number one priority in the draft was a QB. Chicago took Caleb Williams as the first overall pick in the draft from USC in 2024. Williams won the Heisman trophy in 2022 and was named the AP College Football Player of the Year, Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, and Unanimous All-American. They completed their draft with excellent picks in wide receiver Rome Odunze and defencemen Montez Sweat and Austin Booker.
The Buffalo Bills began the 2023 season as prospective Super Bowl favourites. After a strong 4-1 start, the Bills struggled for consistency. They failed to record back-to-back victories in their next eight games and their playoff chances looked to be in jeopardy with a 6-6 record at the end of November.
However, quarterback Josh Allen led his side to five straight victories to end the season. Buffalo made it into the Wild Card playoffs where they beat the Steelers. They met the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional playoff, falling to a 24-27 defeat. The Bills had arguably the most talented roster in the NFL, but coach Sean McDermott failed to realize their potential once again. They faced an exodus of some of their best players in the offseason. Fans said goodbye to receivers Steffon Diggs and Gabe Davis, plus defencemen Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, and Tre’Davious White.
Buffalo had a decent draft, bringing in a big-play receiver in Keon Coleman and safety Cole Bishop. This at least half-fills the holes left by the loss of their main men in the offseason. However, for both Eberflus and McDermott, success is imperative this season if they want to be in the job in 2025.
Buffalo Bills vs Chicago Bears Predictions
Correct score prediction: Buffalo Bills 17-20 Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears preseason began last week. They led against the Houston Texans 21-17 before extreme weather saw the game called early with 3:31 remaining. Chicago looked strong during their first outing, and that was without Williams and Odunze. The rookies will likely make their debut in this game and our football prediction is for the Bears.
Williams and Odunze have looked sharp in practice and seem to be forming an albeit unproven partnership, connecting on plays throughout their camp. The Bears’ offence showed immediate improvement against the Texans. Led by new OC Shane Waldron, this offence can become a genuine force this year. The hype surrounding Chicago’s 2024 season is real and they can show us a glimpse here against strong opposition.
Best throw of the day:
Caleb Williams to Rome Odunze for a touchdown in the back left corner of the end zone. Williams put the ball in between two defenders, and Odunze made the reception in traffic.
Really good rep from the rookie duo.
— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) July 29, 2024
The Bears’ defence against the run was the best in the league in 2023, allowing just 86.4 yards per game. However, their pass defence left a lot to be desired, ranking 25th in the with 237.8 yards allowed per game.
The defensive work done in camp to combat their weaknesses through the air was clear to see against Houston. They allowed 197 passing yards through three quarterbacks, with Davis Mills managing the most at just 102 yards. The Chicago Bears’ preseason work in their defence will aid them to victory here.
Josh Allen is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. A dual-threat athlete with a big arm is enough to strike fear in the hearts of any defence. However, he can be reckless with the ball. Allen threw a career-high 18 interceptions in 2023 and despite his talent, he has still never seen a Super Bowl. He no longer has his number one target Diggs to fall back on. The improvement we saw in Chicago’s defence in camp and against Houston gives us faith they can keep Allen quiet if he faces a snap in the game.
This Buffalo Bills preseason roster is light on talent compared to last season. Those big departures in the offseason have hurt them. Their receiving corps falls outside the top 10 with no Diggs and Davis.
In their place, we have Coleman and veterans Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The latter two have never been more than complimentary pieces for the main players. Buffalo’s roster depth has taken a major hit over the break and Chicago can take advantage.
Buffalo Bills vs Chicago Bears Betting Tips
The Chicago Bears are the favourites for this game. A bet on Chicago is worth -133. Buffalo has the home advantage, but the status of the Bills’ starters for this game is unknown. Josh Allen did not start in the Buffalo Bills preseason opener last season, along with many other stars. We expect second and third-stringers Mitch Trubisky and Shane Buechele to start most snaps at QB here. This is part of the reason NFL betting has Chicago as odds-on favourites.
The Bears are likely to introduce at least Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze after they sat out against the Texans. If you are wagering on the moneyline, take Chicago, who will probably field a stronger team.
The Chicago Bears technically won and covered the spread in their last preseason game against the Texans. The spread for this game is set at 2.5 with our bookmaker. Matt Eberflus has said he wants Caleb Williams to have between 45 and 55 snaps in preseason games. Considering he sat out their first and most starting QBs sit out the last, he will be the main man here. With a stronger quarterback starting, bet on Chicago to cover the spread.
Reports from the Chicago Bears training camp indicate that Williams and Odunze are linking up well in 11-on-11s. That is great news for Bears fans, and this will be their first test as a passing-receiving tandem. The football betting markets will favour the Consensus All-American to score a touchdown. We think Odunze can announce himself in style. Wager on Odunze to score a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills.
Chicago Team News
Caleb Williams and Romeo Odunze will probably play their first snaps in a Chicago Bears jersey here. They sat out against Houston and Eberflus is especially keen to see Williams play. Guard Nate Davis left practice with an injury over the weekend and is questionable for this game. He is the only injury worry for the Chicago Bears.
Buffalo Bills Team News
Starting quarterbacks rarely start season openers, and we expect Josh Allen to sit out this game. Wide receiver Chase Claypool missed practice with an injury and is questionable. This opens the door for Keon Coleman to get his first reps in at Bills Stadium. Rookie safety Cole Bishop and running back Ty Johnson also missed practice. They are questionable for the Buffalo Bills preseason opener.
