Chicago Bears NFL Betting Preview: Foles or Trubisky — Does it Matter?

Posted on: August 14, 2020, 02:00h. 

Last updated on: August 16, 2020, 05:44h.

Bill Huber Read More

Expertise: Sports Betting, Sports.

Perhaps it was Plato who once posited, “If you have two quarterbacks, you don’t have one.”

Regardless of the origins of that tried-and-true football adage, the Chicago Bears’ never-ending quest to find one quality starting quarterback will continue this summer, with Mitchell Trubisky trading throws with Nick Foles.

Oddsmakers aren’t impressed with the chances that either quarterback will do enough to support a rugged defense befitting its “Monsters of the Midway” moniker.

William Hill and FanDuel listed the Bears at +4,000 to win the Super Bowl. MGM has the Bears at +5,000.

Over/Under: 8 Wins

Can either quarterback get the Bears back on top after slipping from 12-4 in 2018 to 8-8 in 2019?

FanDuel set the over/under on Chicago’s win total at 8.0 (+105 over; -125 under). In the NFC North, the Bears lag well behind the Packers, who have questions at receiver, and the Vikings, who have a new though not necessarily improved cornerback corps.

William Hill has Chicago at +420 to win the North; PointsBet has Chicago at +450.

Trubisky vs. Foles is one of the big battles of any training camp in the NFL, though it’s not exactly a clash of the quarterbacking titans in the eyes of sportsbooks.

Foles vs Trubisky has not moved any futures prices at this time,” an analyst for William Hill told Casino.org. “In games, Foles would give Chicago a slight boost from an odds perspective, but it’s unlikely to be more than a point.”

In one corner, it’s the incumbent starter Trubisky. The Bears traded up in the first round to get him in 2017, bypassing MVP favorite Patrick Mahomes in the process. It was a horrendous mistake. Last season, of 40 quarterbacks to throw at least 110 passes, he ranked 32nd in passer rating.

In the other corner, it’s Foles. He caught lightning in a bottle in 2018, when he replaced injured Carson Wentz and went 7-1 (including playoffs) in powering the Eagles past the Tom Brady-led Patriots in the Super Bowl. Last off-season, Foles signed a four-year, $88 million contract with Jacksonville, sustained a broken collarbone, went 0-4 as a starter, and finished 29th in passer rating. The Jaguars happily shipped him to Chicago for a fourth-round pick. Chicago is his fifth team in nine seasons.

Mack Attack

For all the questions on offense, the defense is good enough to win games. That group is led by outside linebacker Khalil Mack. In two seasons with Chicago, Mack has 21 sacks and 11 forced fumbles.

The Bears finished fourth in the league in points allowed last season. Losing run-stopping defensive tackle Eddie Goldman to a COVID-19 opt-out was a big loss.  But the Bears have an elite pass-rushing tandem with Mack and free-agent addition Robert Quinn. Plus, safety Eddie Jackson is one of the league’s premier playmakers.

Editor’s Note: This is the third of 32 NFL team previews. The series continues this week with the rest of the NFC North.