Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Bears
The lone NFL game on Friday takes place in Philadelphia, where the 8-3 Eagles host the 8-3 Bears. Kickoff is set for 3:00 pm ET on Prime Video.
This is a massive opportunity for both teams to make a statement. Philadelphia is looking to bounce back after collapsing in last week’s divisional matchup, blowing a 21-0 lead to the Cowboys. Chicago, meanwhile, enters on a four-game win streak and sits atop the NFC North, yet plenty of people still label them as “frauds” given their -3 point differential.
Which team shows up with its best effort on Friday? Let’s break it all down in my Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Bears preview and prop bets.
For additional information on picks, props, moneylines, and more on today’s slate, take a look at our NFL Picks Page or our NFL Odds Page.
You can also browse our recommendations for the best online sportsbooks available in the U.S.
Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Bears Preview & Props
Can Jalen Hurts get his Eagles back on track against the Bears this Friday?
Eagles vs Bears Preview
Make it four straight wins for the NFC North–leading Chicago Bears, who secured their eighth victory of the season on Sunday by outlasting Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers, 31–28. Yes, it came against Mason Rudolph instead of Aaron Rodgers – but in reality, Rudolph was the better option compared to a banged-up, relatively inefficient 41-year-old Rodgers. I’m not saying a fully healthy Rodgers wouldn’t have been the superior choice, but this week, Rudolph gave Pittsburgh the better chance.
Chicago pulled this one off despite missing all of its starting linebackers, two starting defensive backs, and dealing with several mid-game lapses. Caleb Williams made one of the worst mistakes of his young career, holding onto the ball too long in his own end zone, leading to a strip sack by T.J. Watt and a Steelers defensive touchdown. The Bears were also burned on a fourth-and-short fake tush-push that turned into a 56-yard gain and eventual score.
Even with those miscues, the defense continued to shine in the turnover department. Nashon Wright grabbed his fifth interception of the season (T-1st in the NFL), and Montez Sweat delivered his best performance of the year with three tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble with a recovery. The Bears still lead the league in turnover margin at +16, forcing 23 total turnovers on the season.
Outside of his one costly mistake, Williams did miss a few targets but still finished with three passing touchdowns, completing 19 of 35 attempts for 239 yards. He also added 21 rushing yards on four scrambles.
With the Lions and Packers breathing down their necks, this was a critical win for Chicago. And as ugly as it was at times, they still found a way – which has become the theme of their season.
On the other side, Philadelphia looked poised to deliver its best performance of the year after jumping out to a 21–0 lead over their division rival, Dallas Cowboys. That evaporated in a hurry, as Dallas outscored them 24–0 the rest of the way to steal a 24–21 win.
The Eagles coughed up two brutal turnovers and couldn’t move the ball against one of the league’s worst defenses, even with a three-score cushion. Saquon Barkley continued his disappointing campaign, carrying the ball just 10 times for 22 yards. Running backs typically decline the year after a 2,000+ yard season – history backs that up – but Barkley’s drop-off has been drastic. He has only one game over 100 rushing yards this season, and it came against the league’s worst run defense: the New York Giants.
Dallas ranks 31st in rush success rate and 29th in rush EPA per play allowed. Philadelphia had a three-score lead against that defense… and Barkley still produced only 22 rushing yards. How does a defending Super Bowl champion allow that to happen?
The lone bright spot for Philly was A.J. Brown, who finally got the involvement he’s been publicly clamoring for. He’s been stirring the pot with comments about touches, and the Eagles clearly made a point to feed him. Brown scored their first touchdown and nearly had another, coming inches shy of getting his second foot down. He finished with eight catches on 10 targets for 110 yards – one of his most productive games of the season.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone if the Eagles respond accordingly and put together another quick, efficient offensive output. While the Bears are an improving defense and dominate the turnover category, they’re still flawed. Chicago is giving up 6.1 yards per play (30th), though they’ve trimmed that to 5.4 over their last three games. However, they’re still allowing 5.2 yards per carry (30th) and surrender the 28th-most rushing yards per game (138.1) – a number that’s climbed to 156.7 over their last three outings. They also rank 26th in opponent red-zone efficiency (61.5%) and allow 10.6 yards per completion (26th).
Meanwhile, the Eagles own the league’s top red-zone offense, scoring touchdowns on 77.8% of their trips inside the 20.
The good news for Chicago is the expected return of two starting defensive backs, Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon. However, they’ll still be thin and vulnerable at linebacker.
Philly’s defense is the better overall unit but still has issues. The Eagles are giving up 11.5 yards per completion (30th) and 13.1 per completion over their last three games. Even with those gaps, they sit ninth in EPA/play and 13th in success rate allowed. This will be the toughest test for Ben Johnson’s offense so far.
The Bears have made major strides on that side of the ball, now ranking ninth in offensive EPA/play and 13th in success rate – shockingly ahead of the Eagles, who rank 14th and 22nd in those categories.
Oddsmakers opened this short-week matchup with Philadelphia at -7 and the total at 44.5. Most books still list the Eagles at -7, but the juice is trending toward Chicago, and a few shops have already dipped to -6.5. The total hasn’t moved much. Wind could play a factor, with projected gusts around 15 MPH and temperatures in the upper 30s to low 40s.
Even as a die-hard Bears fan, it’s obvious that Chicago has been very fortunate and is not as good as its 8-3 record suggests. Regardless, you have to respect their tenacity and their ability to win close games. I don’t believe they’ll come out on top here, but I also don’t think it’d be crazy if this matchup came down to the wire.
There are too many unique variables in this game for me to bet the spread. You have a ticked-off Eagles team coming home after arguably their most embarrassing loss of the season. They should be able to carve up Chicago’s banged-up defense on the ground, despite Barkley’s ineffectiveness this year. This is a prime opportunity for him to make some noise and look more like last year’s version of himself. Add in Jalen Hurts’ dual-threat ability, and it’s a scary matchup for Chicago’s run defense.
It’s also a short-week road trip against the defending Super Bowl champions – and the toughest opponent the Bears will have faced this season. If Chicago can’t generate turnovers, they don’t stand a chance. That’s been the key ingredient in their late-game wins. Outside of last week’s collapse, the Eagles have protected the football extremely well, with just six giveaways all season.
This game is going to come down to how well Caleb Williams performs. He can’t afford to be inconsistent or take unnecessary sacks – Philly will make him pay every time. I don’t quite trust Caleb enough to walk into the City of Brotherly Love and lead the Bears to a win, but I will back him in a different way…
Philadelphia vs Chicago Props
Caleb Williams’ passing yards prop sits at just 211.5 with -114 juice to the over, and I’m betting on him to clear that number on Friday.
The Eagles are giving up 225 passing yards per game on the season, and that’s climbed to 249.3 over their last three contests. Realistically, Chicago won’t be able to lean on its ground attack the way it usually does. Running backs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai have been a strong duo for this Bears offense, helping them rank second in the NFL in rushing at 142.3 yards per game. But Philadelphia ranks third in rush EPA/play, is allowing 4.3 yards per carry, and has lowered that to just 3.8 over its last three games.
Most likely, the Bears will be playing from behind early, and once the run game stalls, they’ll have to rely on Williams’ arm to stay competitive. On the season, he’s averaging 233.5 passing yards on 32.7 attempts with over 19 completions per game. He’s gone over 211.5 passing yards in seven of 11 games, and I expect him to do it again on Friday.
On the other side of the field, I’m also targeting Saquon Barkley, but not in the rushing department. I’m looking at what he can provide through the air. I’m taking Barkley to go over 2.5 receptions at -110. He’s averaging 3.2 catches per game and has hauled in three or more in seven of 11 games this season.
Opposing running backs are averaging over four receptions per game against this Bears defense, and 10 different backs have caught at least three passes against them this year. Just last week, Kenneth Gainwell made a noticeable impact through the air, catching all six of his targets for 30 yards.
Additionally, with Chicago’s secondary gaining major reinforcements, Hurts may find fewer quality looks downfield – an area he’s already been struggling in. That could lead to more short dump-offs to Barkley and give him plenty of opportunities to make an impact in the passing game.
Best Bets:
NFL Record: 68-50-1 (+9.87 units)
Still Didn’t Get Your NFL Fix?
Follow me on X @dannyburke5 for all my picks, analysis and plenty more. Also be sure to follow Betting News on ‘X’ and Twitch to catch us on stream! Betting News is also on TikTok! Follow us for more picks and news every day and check out our Free Expert Picks for every major sports league.
More NFL News
NFL Betting News
Dallas Cowboys vs Minnesota Vikings Preview & Predictions (12/14)
NFL Betting News
Chasing Six | NFL Week 15 Anytime Touchdown Bets
Get FREE Picks and Props Weekly
Sign up for
THE WEEKENDER NEWSLETTER