Bills vs Bears Picks, Odds, Who’s Playing & How to Watch

• The Buffalo Bills visit the Chicago Bears on Sunday night in Week 2 preseason action
• The Bears are expected to play their first-time offense to start the game, while the Bills have not committed one way or the other
• See my favorite Bills vs Bears picks and predictions, plus details on how to watch the game and who’s starting for each team

The Buffalo Bills (0-1, 0-0 away, 0-1 ATS, 1-0 O/U) travel to Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears (0-0-1, 0-0-1 home, 0-1 ATS, 1-0 O/U) on Sunday night at 7:00 pm CT/8:00 pm ET. Both teams are coming off high-scoring Week 1 games and oddsmakers have set the total fairly high, at least for a preseason game.

The first table below sets out the Bills vs Bears odds (spread, total, and moneyline). Under the odds table, find details on how to watch, probable starters, and my favorites picks and predictions for Sunday Night Football.

Buffalo Bills vs Chicago Bears Odds

The current NFL betting odds list the Bears as 2.5-point favorites at most sportsbooks. The outlier is BetMGM, which has upped the spread to a field goal, making MGM the best book for Buffalo ATS bettors, though the juice is a little higher (-115). The best ATS option for Chicago bettors is -2.5 (-108) at DraftKings, which also has the best moneyline price on the Bears (-142). The longest odds on a Buffalo SU victory are at bet365 (+125). The game total has been bet into near-uniformity; the number is sitting at 40.5 across the board. Under bettors can get -105 odds at Caesars.

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The opening preseason Week 2 odds had the spread at just Chicago -1.5 and the total at 38.5 points. Betting action has been the driving force behind the movement on the total. The NFL public betting splits show a staggering 90% of O/U handle and 89% of wagers on the over as of 2:43 pm ET.

In preseason Week 1, the Bills fell 34-25 to the Giants as 1.5-point home underdogs, far exceeding the total of 37.5 points. The Bears played Miami to a 24-24 tie at home, also blowing past the total (32.5).

How to Watch Bills vs Bears

In a rarity for the preseason, the Bills/Bears matchup will air live nationally on FOX. Unlike with regular-season games, the broadcast will start basically at kickoff (8:00 pm ET), though viewers can expect the actual kickoff time – which is listed as 8:00 pm ET, as well – to be pushed back by five to ten minutes for broadcast purposes.

BUF vs CHI: Who’s Playing in Preseason Week 2?

Chicago first-year coach Ben Johnson will be playing his starters at the outset tonight. That should means reps for QB1 Caleb Williams with RB1 D’Andre Swift and WR1 DJ Moore. That trio sat out all of Week 1’s tie against the Fins.

Tyson Bageant, Case Keenum, and Austin Reed will handle the rest of the QB duties for Chicago once Williams departs after a series or two. Bageant and Keenum played well in Week 1: Bageant was 13-of-19 for 103 yards, one TD, and one INT. Keenum was 8-of-10 for 80 yards and a touchdown. Reed, the QB4 on the Chicago depth chart, was just 5-of-10 for 41 yards.

At the time of publication, Buffalo coach Sean McDermott had not committed to either sitting or resting Josh Allen, the reigning NFL MVP.

Last preseason, Allen’s only action came in Week 1, during a 33-6 rout at the hands of these same Bears. McDermott is the type of coach who wants his starters to get some reps, but also has injury concerns about his starting QB. Given that playing tonight (instead of preseason Week 3) would give Allen more time to recover ahead of the start of the regular season, it’s a reasonable assumption that Allen will play at least a series tonight.

Behind Allen on the Buffalo QB depth chart are Mitchell Trubisky, Mike White, and Shane Buechele. All three were more than serviceable in Week 1. Trubisky saw the most action, going 9-of-13 for 138 yards and one touchdown. White was 8-of-13 for 112 yards and two majors. Buechele was 10-of-12 for 91 yards. None of the three turned the ball over.

Buffalo Bills vs Chicago Bears Picks & Predictions

• Under 40.5 (-105) at Caesars
• Bears first half -1.5 (-122) at FanDuel

The preseason Week 2 totals were significantly inflated after a veritable scoring explosion in Week 1. I expect regression and reduced offensive efficiency with starters seeing limited action, which is why my first pick for Sunday Night Football is under 40.5. Only one of Chicago’s four preseason games went over 40 points last year, while one of three went over 40.5 for the Bills.