Raiders vs. Bears Week 7 Predictions

Las Vegas Raiders (3-3 SU, 3-2-1 ATS) vs. Chicago Bears (1-5 SU, 1-4-1 ATS)

Week 7 NFL

Date/Time: Sunday, October 22, 2023, at 1 PM EDT

Where: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

TV: Fox

Betting Odds

Point Spread: LV -3 / CHI +3 (Bovada – Awesome Bonus! Sweet Loyalty Program! Fat Bonus!)

Money Line: LV -160, CHI +130

Over/Under Total: 37.5

The Las Vegas Raiders come into Soldier Field on Sunday for a face-off with the Chicago Bears. The Raiders were able to secure a 21-17 win over the Patriots on Sunday, evening their record at 3-3. The Bears weren’t as fortunate, falling to 1-5 after a 19-13 loss at home on Sunday to the Minnesota Vikings. Dug in at home for another game, they look for better this week against the incoming Raiders. Who can get the upper hand at Soldier Field on Sunday?

Personnel Issues

Nothing has been hashed out as of press time, but we saw both of these teams’ starting quarterbacks go down on Sunday. Chicago’s Justin Fields left the game with a hand injury, replaced by undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent. The Raiders lost Jimmy Garoppolo to a back injury against the Patriots, turning to Brian Hoyer. If forced to fathom a guess, one would have to say the odds are not in either man’s favor. Garoppolo avoided a major injury, and Fields’ injury could come down to grip strength. Muddying the waters is how the Raiders didn’t go with rookie Aidan O’Connell, who got a start in a previous game Garoppolo missed. Hoyer played the whole second half on Sunday, not really distinguishing himself one way or the other. Bagent, meanwhile, was strip-sacked soon after coming in on Sunday and threw a pick, but was 10-for-14 and ran in a score.

Tough Times for Both Teams

The Raiders are 3-3, which isn’t bad as they’ve been basically under the radar. The injury to Garoppolo, the uncertainty of who will replace him if he’s, in fact, out, and the state and morale of their offense are concerns. We’re in week 7 and Joshua Jacobs has yet to have a standout game, despite getting ample work. There seems to be a burgeoning amount of discontent from Davante Adams, who has been banged up and isn’t getting targeted abundantly. But they’ve won two games in a row to even their record and have an opponent this week that has won just once in their last 16 games.

The Bears and Fields, in particular, were showing signs of life, making this injury setback an untimely obstacle for a team that can ill afford more resistance in their path. If looking for signs of positivity, one could point to a defense that, after getting smashed in the first four games of the season, has allowed just 33 points in the last two games. Playing the Commanders and Vikings could figure into that equation, but it at least shows that in a home-spot like this that isn’t so demanding, maybe they can come up with something on defense.

It’s worth noting that last week’s 21-point output for the Raiders was their high mark of the season. It’s easy to defer to offensive firepower and with Jacobs in the backfield, Adams still one of the best in the business, and real supplemental weapons like Jakobi Meyers, the Raiders will stand out in matchups like this. But this formula hasn’t exactly been clicking with their starting QB behind center, and it’d be a weird time to get in a groove now. Still, being 3-3 with two wins in a row, while having only taken one bad loss to Buffalo so far, counts for something against a Bears team that has struggled to hold it together this season.

The Concept of Functionality

Even against a Raiders’ defense that isn’t that good and doesn’t always make much of an impact in the pass-rush outside of Maxx Crosby, this Chicago offensive line could be in trouble if it’s the rookie QB Bagent behind center. Being down both Fields and Khalil Herbert puts a cloud over their run-game. And whether the nice one-two punch with WR DJ Moore and TE Cole Kmet can resonate is another issue. If the offense reverts to the form we saw earlier in the season, it also puts more pressure on a Chicago defense that could once again struggle.

The Raiders seem to have a better chance of their starting QB being in there on Sunday. And if not, they might have enough to keep the train moving. It might not be crisp, but for all the flak their defense catches, they’ve allowed 17 or fewer points in three of their games, allowing over 24 points just once. We’ve seen this Chicago run-defense suffer this season, meaning this is a real “show-and prove” spot for a slow-starting Jacobs because if he can’t thrive here, when will he? And while it’s a tough out-of-conference game in a stadium these Raiders players seldom or never have seen, the Raiders just seem less-apt to go off the rails in this matchup of two teams facing a personnel crisis leading into this Sunday.

Lay the Points on the Road Favorite

On one hand, giving points when backing the Raiders on the road seems intuitively wrong. But there are going to be certain spots that just set up better for them. Last week it was the sideways Patriots, and this week it’s what might be an even more-derailed Chicago squad. Garoppolo or not, they should be able to see Jacobs put together a half-decent game, while getting enough big plays on the other side of the ball to steer things in their direction. With a small spread and the potential for a good matchup in this spot, I’ll take a whirl with the Raiders this week.

Loot’s Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I’m betting on the Las Vegas Raiders minus 3 points.