by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Dec 23, 2022
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
Where to watch:
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Bills -8; Bills -390, Bears +320; O/U 40.5
FanDuel: Bills -8.5; Bills -405, Bears +320; O/U 40.5
BetMGM: Bills -8.5; Bills -400, Bears +310; O/U 40.5
Caesars: Bills -8; Bills -400, Bears +310; O/U 40.5
Season record
Bills: 11-3 (Clinched playoff berth, 1st place in AFC East)
Bears: 3-11 (Last place, NFC North)
We’re coming down the home stretch of the NFL season and there’s still a lot left to get excited for on your TV screen (or your streaming device if you’re like me and watch Sunday Ticket on a Fire Stick. That works, too). Nevertheless, the final few weeks of the regular season are going to be hectic for everyone on the field, but just as much as everyone off it. You’re probably going to need to figure out which plays are the best ones in terms of teams sitting the star players for the playoff advantage, or which teams are going all in for the final playoff push. If you need that extra push, trust that our champion handicappers can get the job done for you. Matt Fargo has a 17-9-0 run over the last 30 days in the NFL. Brian Bitler has continued to stay consistent, despite a wild, unpredictable season, by going 16-9-0. Do you want a piece of this action? Make sure to stay locked to bigal.com and follow our champion handicappers so you can be a champion, too!
Bills - Bears preview, analysis and prediction
Last week
Bills: won 32-29 vs. Dolphins
Bears: lost 25-20 vs. Eagles
Bills analysis
The Buffalo Bills are going back to the playoffs and if there is anybody to think that they will not be the favorites to win the AFC this year, I would highly advise you to take a step back and evaluate the situation. The bills are coming off a 32-29 victory over the Miami Dolphins last week and in doing so completely hindered Miami’s chances and making the playoffs. Three straight losses we'll do that to you and clearly, we now know heading into December which team was eventually going to run this division. Josh Allen was tremendous once again after passing for 304 yards and four touchdowns last week, along with 77 rushing yards, in what was another masterful performance at home for the MVP candidate. As long as Alan is playing as well as he is, Buffalo is going to have a chance to win any game in the next month. Stefon Diggs continues to be a tremendous player this year and he is looking for his fifth game in a row on the road with at least 75 receiving yards and he is looking for his third straight game with a touchdown catch. And if you somehow forgot, Diggs is known for tormenting the Chicago Bears. The last time he faced Chicago as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, he had seven receptions for 108 yards, and he has a receiving touchdown in three of his last four games against Chicago. As a spread team, Buffalo has not been great as of late. Buffalo has gone 2-6 against the spread in their last eight, including three of its last four. But at this time of year, it doesn't matter on the books. Teams will only care about winning and advancing, and that's exactly what Buffalo has done.
Bears analysis
Mercifully, this season for the Chicago Bears is almost coming to an end. But I have never seen a team lose 7 consecutive games and the fan base is so excited for the future. That's what will happen when you have a young quarterback in Justin Fields that is turning into a star as quickly as he has, and losing games by only a handful of points against teams that before would not even be considered worthy of playing to the competition. The bears are coming off a 25-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, shockingly, but the real star of the show right now is the second-year quarterback out of Ohio State who eclipsed 1000 rushing yards this season and became the third quarterback ever to do so in a single season, joining Lamar Jackson and Michael Vick. But that’s the only thing the Bears have going for them this year. This is a team that has only covered two of its last seven and despite looking somewhat competitive during this seven-game losing streak, they’re still a couple of years away from truly contending in the NFC playoff picture. But at least they have the quarterback of the future and everyone can stop complaining about that.
Prediction
The Bears have done well and have played admirably in this situation, but this is the Buffalo Bills we’re talking about. They have a clear path to host the AFC Championship game if they run the table. If everything goes through Buffalo, this is going to be an interesting postseason. Bills 30, Bears 17
Betting trends
Bills are 56-32 ATS after failing to cover in 4 or 5 of their last 6 since 1992.
Bills are 13-4 ATS on the road after failing to cover in 5 or 6 of their last 7 since 1992.
Bills are 6-0 ATS after a win by 3 points or less the last 3 seasons.
Bears are 8-17 ATS as an underdog the last 2 seasons.
Statistical leaders
Bills:
Passing: Josh Allen – 3,857 yards, 30 TD, 11 INT
Rushing: Josh Allen – 705 yards, 6 TD
Receiving: Stefon Diggs – 1,299 yards, 10 TD
Defense: Jordan Poyer – 4 INT
Bears:
Passing: Justin Fields – 2,048 yards, 14 TD, 10 INT
Rushing: Justin Fields – 1,000 yards, 8 TD
Receiving: Cole Kmet – 433 yards, 5 TD
Defense: Kyler Gordon – 2 INT
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Buffalo Bills - Chicago Bears prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NFL projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
