The absence of Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams matters, but the Philadelphia Eagles are more than ready to unleash a better version of the Jalen Hurts-DeVonta Smith connection. These teams will battle on Monday Night Football, and here are the odds and a prediction for the Week 3 game.
Despite looking very shaky at times, the Eagles are off to a 2-0 start. They edged the Commanders before winning in the final moments against the Titans.
Meanwhile, the Bears are 1-1. They exploded for 59 points in Week 1 before crashing to the ground in a stunning 9-3 loss to the Vikings last week. Plus, the Bears could be down to third-string quarterback Case Keenum, as backup Tyson Bagent is questionable.
Eagles vs. Bears Odds
Despite being at home, the Bears are a sizeable underdog, according to BetOnline.
- Eagles: -4.5
- Bears: +4.5
- Over: 41
- Under: 41
That line would almost surely be different if Williams could get on the field. But the Bears will likely have to move ahead without him. If the Eagles can find consistency with their offense this week, they might be able to run away with this one.
As for the over-under, it seems like a good time to consider fewer points. It’s hard to imagine the Bears getting much north of 14 points — if they get that many. And that means the Eagles would have to hit for at least 28 to pull off the over.
It’s not impossible. But the Bears were much better on defense in Week 2 than in their opener. A low-scoring game seems reasonable to assume.
Eagles vs. Bears key injuries
It all starts with Williams. He pulled up late in the fourth quarter on a scramble play against the Vikings. The injury appeared serious at first, but Williams may wind up missing only a game or two.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson said Williams is anxious to get back on the field, according to BearsWire.com.
“I know he's an antsy individual. He's a competitor,” Johnson said. “He wants to be out there on the grass going full speed. So it is a little bit more challenging to hold a guy back like that. But if you could build a player, that's what you'd want him to be like.”
Johnson said Williams knows one speed, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
“He wants to be out there on the grass going full speed, so it is a little more challenging to hold a guy back like that,” Johnson said. “If you could build a player, that’s what you’d want him to be like.”
The Bears are also monitoring running back Kyle Monogai, who didn’t practice Wednesday.
The Eagles have their own injury news with running back Saquon Barkley coming off a setback in the Titans game. He suffered a stinger and left the game a second time after returning.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said Barkley is working hard to get back, according to delawareonline.com.
“I know Saquon does everything he can do to get himself ready to play each and every week,” Sirianni said. “I love that about him and his work ethic, and we'll see where we are.”
If he’s out, Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley will again take up the slack.
“I think they both bring a unique skill set,” Sirianni said. “We trust the heck out of both of them. You trust those guys and they both have earned reps, and they both have different things that they bring to the table.”
Article Continues BelowThe Eagles could get a boost from the return of edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. Also, tight end Dallas Goedert is trending toward being inactive.
Eagles vs. Bears betting trends
The Bears enter the game with a record of 1-1 against the spread. Meanwhile, the low-flying Eagles like to click their wings against lesser competition, it seems. So their 0-2 mark against the spread isn’t surprising.
An interesting note is that the Bears are 3-0 against the spread as home underdogs under Ben Johnson. That points to this game being very close.
As for the over-under, the Eagles have gone over in both games while the Bears have split it.
Keys to Eagles vs. Rams matchup
It’s very basic for the Bears. They will need to run the football and eat a ton of clock to have a chance. If they put Bagent in many third-and-distance situations, they will likely be asking for a bad outcome.
It would help to have both D'Andre Swift and Monogai available. Twelve-plus carries for both backs would be the recipe for success.
As for the Eagles, look for them to take some shots down the field. They can afford to risk a drive stoppage in order to get a chance for a big play. A couple of long shots in this one might be all they need to create distance from the Bears. And if the Bears have to play from behind, they will be in trouble.
It’s going to come down to the Eagles’ defensive front against the Bears’ offensive line. Make no mistake, the Bears are going to test this potential path to victory.
A best-case scenario for the Bears would be to get into second-and-very-short situations. That would be the safest time for a play-action dropback pass and a deep shot.
Eagles vs. Bears prediction and pick
It would be easy to say that without Williams, the Bears have no shot. The problem with that assumption is the Eagles haven’t shown much this season. And they haven’t exactly played a tough schedule. So why think they will suddenly develop a dominance they haven’t shown in 2026?
The Bears’ run game is good enough to move the football and keep the game close. It could be close heading into the fourth quarter. But that’s where the Eagles will be able to win it. It’s not that they will take control. But it’s more like they will do their thing and make enough plays to win.
Prediction: Eagles 20, Bears 13