Buffalo Bills vs Chicago Bears Prediction, Odds and Preview - 08/21/2021

Game Time: Noon ET, Saturday, August 21st, 2021
Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
Where to Watch:  NFL Network (blacked out locally)  Local Affiliates

(preseason)

Bills:  1-0 (AFC East)
Bears: 1-0 (NFC North)

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Bills +160, Bears -200; Over/Under:  38.5 points

Spread:  Bears-2

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Bills +160, Bears -200; Over/Under 37 points

Bills:

Josh Allen QB
Devin Singletary RB
Stefon Diggs WR1
Emmanuel Sanders WR2
Cole Beasley WR3
Dawson Knox TE
Dion Dawkins LT
Jon Feliciano LG
Mitch Morse C
Cody Ford RG
Daryl Williams RT

Bears:

Andy Dalton QB  (Not for long)  (Justin Fields will have this job, this year)
David Montgomery RB
Allen Robinson WR1
Darnell Mooney WR2
Marquise Goodman WR3
Cole Kmet TE
Jason Peters LT
Cody Whitehair LG

Sam Mustipher C
James Daniels RG
Germain Ifedi RT

Coaches:

Bills: Sean McDermott
Bears:  Matt Nagy

Buffalo has become a really good NFL team.  Quarterback Josh Allen led the Bills to a 13-3 record in 2020.  Josh got paid in the offseason… signing a Great big multi-year pact!  Lots of guaranteed cash.  The goal is to make a Super Bowl this year.  I can’t say WIN a Super Bowl because it’s Buffalo.  Josh Allen finished last year with 4,544 passing Yards, 37 touchdowns, 10 interceptions.  He looks the part too.  Big kid, big arm, body built for cold weather.  They will definitely win the AFC East and may have it locked down for the next few seasons.

Chicago finished last season 8-8.  They were 22nd in the league in Passing yards 228.4 a game.  That’s why they dropped Mitch Trybiski at the Bus stop and picked up Ohio State product Justin Fields in the draft.  Rookie quarterbacks that do well are rare so Chicago also signed Andy Dalton (last year’s Cowboys back-up)... Andy is a gap filler between drafting Justin Fields and starting Justin Fields when he is ready.  The only person that doesn’t seem to know this, is Andy Dalton. Andy has made some waves in the press by recently insisting he came to Chicago to start and he IS the starter.  The reason this shouldn’t concern anyone is it’s average quarterback Andy Dalton saying it and not a great quarterback like Aaron Rogers.  The Bears have no guarantee of improving over 8-8 this year but they do have an extra game in this year’s season… so it could be 8-9 or 9-8.

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Preseason games are funny. People tune in to see the starters, just like it is the regular season, but preseason action is really about watching guys fight for deep reserve spots.  Sure, the Coaches want to see if the defense can line up in the correct coverages and react in real time.  Coaches want to see matchups at certain spots on the field where maybe they weren’t particularly strong last season.  Maybe a veteran on the defensive line needs to work on wrapping up tackles at the point of contact?  Maybe the offensive line needs reps together to work in a rookie?... But if you are watching your favorite teams preseason schedule to see if your starting quarterback has improved his touchdown to interception ratio?... then your favorite team is a bad team and are still hoping/looking for a starting quarterback.  As a fan you shouldn’t want to see your starters anywhere on the field during an exhibition game.  As a bettor,  you want to adjust your expectations of any team’s reputation and look to the point spread as a way to make quick cash before the betting odds become more accurate.

When betting on this game you have to throw out who is the better team!!  You have to look at which team is more likely to pull their projected starters and which team will have to see more to decide who will be the eventual starter.  Up and down the respective roster the Bills have way more guys who have locked up their position (especially at Quarterback). The Bears have more guys battling for spots (especially at Quarterback).  

Notable quotes:

"I never even thought I could get that low because I'm so animated,....And that hit hard, even with the mental stuff -- it hit every part of me and I was shocked that it could even hit that… Being in the hospital was probably the hardest part because I was like, 'Man, I'm in the hospital -- my team is out there working and I'm here.”..... Bills Offensive lineman Dion Dawkins… and teammate of the league's biggest dummy Cole Beasley... Talking about suffering through Covid-19.

"It was awesome,...Definitely a dream come true, first NFL touchdown and have my teammates celebrate, it was a nice moment."  Eventual Bears starter at QB Justin Fields.  He benefits, like most NFL players,  from not being teammates with Cole Beasley.

Bills vs Bears Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Saturday August 21st game is Bears 24 Bills 17 

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