Who: Washington Commanders at Chicago Bears

Where: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL

Time: 8:15pm ET

Spread: Washington -1

Total: 38 o/u

After a 12-9 snoozefest between the Colts and the Broncos last week, this Thursday night features an unappealing matchup between two underachieving teams – the Washington Commanders and the Chicago Bears.

Washington optimistically entered the season after acquiring QB Carson Wentz from the Colts and drafting Jahan Dotson and Brian Robinson. However, the season has gone from bad to worse since the Commanders pulled off a Week 1 victory against the Jaguars. Since then, Washington has dropped four straight to the Lions, Eagles, Cowboys, and Titans. Wentz has looked like a shell of his former self, ranking third in the league in QB sacks and third in interceptions. It has been quite a disappointing season for the Commanders, who have struggled to generate offense at times, especially in the red zone. Washington’s defense, too, has squandered, ranking near the bottom in points allowed per game.

The Bears have not fared much better. Chicago had high hopes for second-year QB Justin Fields after trading up to draft him last season. However, Fields has dramatically regressed as his QBR ranks 31st in the league. While the blame cannot solely be placed on Fields, Chicago has not given the young QB much help with an uninspiring offensive line and a receiving corps that is less than stellar.

I am going to side with the Commanders in this matchup that is essentially a pick ‘em. Wentz, despite his flailing, is still the superior QB and head coach Ron Rivera is much more experienced than Matt Eberflus. Washington is also 9-0 ATS in their last nine games against the Bears, while Chicago is 1-7 ATS in their previous eight game in primetime (trends courtesy of Oddsshark). 

In terms of the total, sitting at 38, I’ll keep my Under trend going on Thursday night. These teams struggle to generate offense; on a short week, they may fall flat to begin the game. It may not be the best NFL game to watch on a Thursday night, but at least it is football.

Pick: Commanders -1

Under 38