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The Chicago Bears will square off with the Cleveland Browns in the final preseason tuneup for both teams on Saturday. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NFL preseason odds series, which includes our Bears-Browns prediction and pick we have laid out below.
The Chicago Bears have their quarterback of the future, but that is about all they have. Chicago went 6-11 last season, again lowering expectations for their fanbase. A healthy Justin Fields would go a long way to ensuring some sort of success for this team going forward.
The Cleveland Browns are coming off a tumultuous offseason, trading one controversial quarterback for an even more controversial one. Cleveland definitely needs an injection of sorts on their offense, but Deshaun Watson may not exactly be the right answer there.
Here are the Bears-Browns NFL Preseason odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
2022 NFL Preseason Odds: Bears-Browns Odds
Chicago Bears: +5.5 (-110)
Cleveland Browns: -5.5 (-110)
Over: 41.5 (-115)
Under: 41.5 (-105)
Why The Bears Could Cover The Spread
Chicago has one of the most dynamic young quarterbacks in the league. Justin Fields, the team's first-round pick in the 2021 draft, struggled a bit in his rookie season, throwing 10 interceptions to just seven touchdowns. Fields was able to add to his game on the ground, rushing for 420 yards and 2 touchdowns. Fields only started ten games in 2021 but will take on an expanded role in 2022. Last season's leading rusher David Montgomery is back after rushing for 849 yards and seven touchdowns in 2021. Darnell Mooney, who led the Bears with 1,055 receiving yards last season, is also back. Cole Kmet, the big tight end, is also back after catching 60 passes for 612 yards, the second-highest total for the team. Chicago's offensive line struggled mightily last season, surrendering 58 sacks, putting Fields in constant danger.
Chicago's defense has long been the identity of this team. Last season, the group took a bit of a step back, allowing 23.9 points per game, ranking 22nd in the league. Still, the team managed to sack opposing quarterbacks an impressive 49 times. Roquan Smith, last season's leading tackler, made a bunch of headlines when he requested a huge contract extension and later a trade. Smith dramatically reversed the narrative and returned to practice recently. Smith is the anchor of this defense and has totaled over 100 tackles in each of his four seasons in the NFL. Robert Quinn, the impressive defensive end, totaled 18.5 sacks in 2021 and is back to build off that stellar season. Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker were drafted to boost a secondary that intercepted just eight passes in 2021.
Why The Browns Could Cover The Spread
Cleveland enters 2022 with a new quarterback, moving on from the disgruntled Baker Mayfield. In the preseason finale, Jacoby Brissett will pilot the offense, setting up the regular season. With Watson set to miss the first 11 games of the season, Brissett will be the de facto starting quarterback. Brissett has played sparingly since being drafted in the third round of the 2016 draft but owns a career 36:17 TD:INT ratio. Brissett may not be the dynamic talent that Watson is, but he should be pretty adept at keeping the ball with his offense. Nick Chubb is back as well to alleviate the losses of Watson. Brissett's best target will likely be Amari Cooper, the former Cowboy. Cooper is entering his first season in Cleveland. Of course, David Njoku, the reliable tight end, is also back.
Cleveland allowed 21.8 points per game last season, the 13th-best total in the league. Last year's leading tackler Anthony Walker is back. Defensive end Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney also returning after combining for 25 sacks in 2021. Cleveland intercepted 13 passes as a team last season.
Finals Bears-Browns Prediction & Pick
In a battle of two disgruntled franchises, let's lean to the veteran quarterback.
Finals Bears-Browns Prediction & Pick: Cleveland -5.5 (-110), over 41.5 (-115)
