Detroit Lions vs Chicago Bears Matchup Preview (10/3/21) Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)
Contents
Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears Matchup Preview (10/3/21)
The battle of the NFC North lightweights is going down this Sunday. The 0-3 Detroit Lions will face the division-rival 1-2 Chicago Bears in Chicago. The Lions are coming off an absolute heartbreaker of a loss at the last second to a 66-yard field goal from Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker (a new NFL record), while the Bears were dominated by the Cleveland Browns 26-6. The Lions downgraded significantly when they traded former franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams for former 1st overall pick Jared Goff. Goff has struggled so far this season averaging under 300 passing yards a game, while the Bears hopes for potential franchise quarterback Justin Fields have not materialized yet. The 11th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has started two games this season and has struggled… a lot. He only threw six completions for 68 yards on Sunday against the Browns. You cannot blame him solely for that poor stat line, as the Bears offensive line gave up a whopping nine sacks. Make no mistake, this is NOT one of the games to look out for in Week 4.
Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears Betting Odds
These two teams are pretty evenly matched. They both have struggling new quarterbacks and limited offensive weapons. The Bears come in as three-point favorites. Everyone will be watching to see if Bears QB Justin Fields can live up to the hype in his easiest start of the season so far. He has struggled to put points up on the board and has not thrown a single touchdown yet. He will have to depend on the Bears run game for some help and hope that the Bears dominant defensive line can keep the Lions scoring down. It also looks like Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker will miss this week making life easier for the Bears defensive line. The Lions defense continues to work shorthanded as cornerbacks Jeff Okudah (Achilles injury, out for season) and Ifeatu Melifonwu (thigh injury, expected return in Week 6) are out this week. For the Bears, running back Tarik Cohen continues to rehab his knee (expected return in week 7). This game could really go either way and will more than likely be pretty low-scoring. Be on the lookout for a big game from Lions running back D’andre Swift.
My Predictions: Bears 21, Lions 17, Bears cover, under 42.5 points
- Michigan Sports Betting
- Tennessee Sports Betting
- Arizona Sports Betting
- BetMGM Michigan
- FanDuel Michigan
- DraftKings Michigan
- Caesars Arizona
- DraftKings Arizona
- FanDuel Arizona
- Caesars Promo Code
- BetMGM Bonus Code
- DraftKings Promo Code
You can bet on this NFL game legally. Sports betting has been legalized in the US. You must be located in a legalized state in order to bet online.
TV Schedule
Date: Sunday, October 3rd
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Location: Soldier Field – Chicago, IL
TV Coverage: FOX
Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears Live Stream
Where can you watch Lions vs. Bears online? You can stream this game, and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch Lions vs. Bears Free Online Now.
Injuries
Detroit Lions: LB Trey Flowers (Shoulder) O, K Austin Seibert (Illness) IR – COVID-19, OT Taylor Decker (Finger) IR, CB Jeff Okudah (Achilles) IR, CB Ifeatu Melifonwu (Thigh) IR
Chicago Bears: SS Tashaun Gipson Sr. (Hamstring) D, QB Andy Dalton (Knee) Q, ILB Danny Trevathan (Knee) IR, RB Tarik Cohen (Knee – ACL) PUP
Detroit Lions Analysis
The Detroit Lions rough start to the season has not been surprising, to say the least. They are one of the few winless teams left in the NFL. New QB Jared Goff has been part of the Lions’ struggles. He has thrown five touchdowns and two interceptions so far. Throughout Goff’s career, he has shown that he often cracks under pressure. He will face that pressure this week from a powering Bears defensive line led by six-time Pro Bowler Khalil Mack. He will need to depend on running backs D’andre Swift and the most quotable man in the NFL Jamaal Williams to push the ball down the field. He also is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly in the pocket to avoid being continuously sacked.
The Lions wide receiver core of Amon Ra St. Brown, Kalif Raymond, and Quintez Cephus, is one of the weakest in the NFL. Amon Ra St. Brown may have the best name in the league but has made little impact on the Lions offense with only six catches for 43 yards and zero touchdowns in the first three games. WR2 Kalif Raymond leads the Lions receivers with 11 catches for 136 yards but has zero touchdowns. These wide receivers are on the less talented end of the NFL spectrum but will need to step up and get open quickly if they want to give their team a chance of winning.
The Lions running back duo of D’andre Swift and Jamaal Williams is significantly better than their wide receiver core. Swift is a dual-threat running back who can run the ball for a few yards and get a lot of short receptions to push the ball down the field. He will need to continue to get open for short receptions to help QB Jared Goff avoid being sacked. Jamaal Williams is more focused on running the ball and can score the ball in short-yardage situations. Swift and Williams will both need to be productive if they want to outscore the Bears.
The Lions currently have a bottom-ten defense in the NFL. On the bright side, they will face their weakest offense of the season in the Bears this week. They will be facing a Bears defensive line that gave up nine sacks last week and will be riding the momentum of only giving up 19 points in that tough loss against the Ravens last Sunday. The defense has to be impactful and limit the Bears scoring.
Detroit Lions Depth Chart
QB: Jared Goff
RB1: D’Andre Swift
RB2: Jamaal Williams
WR1: Amon-Ra St. Brown
WR2: Kalif Raymond
WR3: Quintez Cephus
TE1: TJ Hockenson
TE2: Darren Fells
Chicago Bears Analysis
Like the Detroit Lions, the Chicago Bears also have had an unimpressive start to the season. They have a 1-2 record behind an incredibly weak offensive line and a very green rookie quarterback. QB Justin Fields threw for only 68 yards in Week 3 and is yet to throw a touchdown this season. If that is not the definition of struggle, I don’t know what is. Fields should face a significantly easier matchup in the Detroit Lions this week. With that being said, his offensive line has shown itself to be one of the worst in the NFL, giving up nine sacks last week. Fields will need to make quick adjustments and use his running backs a lot if he wants to get the Bears their second win.
The Bears wide receiving core has not been impressive thus far. It is not all their fault; their offensive line has not been able to protect their quarterback. Still, all three starting wide receivers have been impressively quiet. Darnell Mooney leads all receivers with only 101 receiving yards. They have their best chance this week to step up and show that the Bears have solid receivers. If they do not, they may be on the losing side once again.
Bears running back David Montgomery has an opportunity to be impressive this season. He showed that he can really move the ball when he had 108 rushing yards and one touchdown against the LA Rams in Week 1. He has another opportunity this week as RB1 to show that he can be dominant on the field. QB Justin Fields will need Montgomery’s dominance if he wants to stand a chance against the Lions.
The Bears defense is the most impressive part of their team. The defensive line leads the charge on that side of the ball. Khalil Mack is the most impressive player the Chicago defense has to offer. The Lions offense that they are facing on Sunday is going to be the weakest offense they have seen so far, which gives them an opportunity to hold them to very few points and help the Bears reach .500.
Chicago Bears Depth Chart
QB: Justin Fields
RB1: David Montgomery
RB2: Damien Williams
WR1: Darnell Mooney
WR2: Allen Robinson II
WR3: Marquise Goodwin
TE1: Cole Kmet
TE2: Jimmy Graham
Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears Daily Fantasy Picks
The Achilles injury that Bears RB Tarik Cohen suffered has allowed David Montgomery to become RB1 on a team with shaky quarterback play. He will be used a lot against the Lions, and it does not look like he will be an expensive player for DFS. Both quarterbacks have not proven to be very effective this season, but Jared Goff does have some favorite targets. Tight End TJ Hockenson has 18 receptions in the first three games and gets a lot of looks from his quarterback. RB D’andre Swift also gets a lot of targets and a lot of rushing opportunities. I would advise considering those two players for DFS.
- Bills @ Rams
- Saints @ Falcons
- Browns @ Panthers
- 49ers @ Bears
- Steelers @ Bengals
- Eagles @ Lions
- Colts @ Texans
- Patriots @ Dolphins
- Ravens @ Jets
- Jaguars @ Commanders
- Giants @ Titans
- Chiefs @ Cardinals
- Raiders @ Chargers
- Packers @ Vikings
- Buccaneers @ Cowboys
- Broncos @ Seahawks
