Chicago Bears vs. Kansas City Chiefs Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 8-22-2024 (2024)

The Chicago Bears (3-0, 3-0 ATS, 2-1 O/U) take on the Kansas City Chiefs (0-2, 0-2 ATS, 1-1 O/U) in the last preseason game on Thursday evening. The Bears are 3-0 after three games including a win against the Bengals last week.. The Chiefs are 0-2 after a home loss against the Lions.

Chicago Remains Undefeated in Preseason

The Chicago Bears are seeking a fourth preseason win. The group has a different dynamic this season. Justin Fields, who many hailed as the franchise QB, was traded in the offseason. The squad drafted Caleb Williams out of USC with the #1 overall pick. Management also signed De’andre Swift to be the #1 RB. They have a new OC in Shane Waldron.

The Bears played great defense in the preseason opener at the Hall of Game and it continued in a dominating 33-6 win against the Bills in the second preseason bout. Next, they issued a 27-3 road win against the Bengals in a bout that had Chicago as 6.5-point favorites

Caleb Williams saw plenty of playing time last week and will not suit up.The Bears have a competition for the backup QB spot. Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien are the candidates. Bagent posted 87 passing yards in the win last week. Rypien has seen a bit of NFL action. He played in four games with the Broncos in 2022 and attempted 38 passes with the Rams last season. Khalil Herbert is the Bears' #2 RB and #3 RB Roschon Johnson should see action in this game. He recorded 352 rushing yards last year.

The Bears defense is a strength. They have an outstanding secondary led by Jaylon Johnson who signed a big contract in the offseason. They lost Eddie Jackson but added Kevin Byard III. The Bears have a new defensive coordinator in Eric Washington. The pass defense was marked 25th last year and the rush defense was a strength, rated 1st.

Chicago averaged 21.2 points last season, ranking them 18th. The defense conceded an average of 22.3 points, placing them 20th.

Chiefs Seek First Preseason Win

The Kansas City Chiefs are hoping to conclude the preseason with one win. The Chiefs are again considered prime Super Bowl contenders after securing yet another championship last season. The squad returns many key pieces, especially on offense. Kansas City was dealt a 26-13 road loss by the Jaguars in the exhibition opener and was dealt a narrow 24-23 home loss against the Lions in a bout that had the Chiefs as 10-point favorites.

Patrick Mahomes and most of the offensive starters will not be playing. Carson Wentz is a solid backup QB. The veteran was a starter for years but only saw action in a few games with the Rams last year. Wentz converted on just 5 of 10 passes for 31 yards last week. Chris Oladokun is third on the depth chart. He has 184 passing yards in two preseason games. Ian Book is also on the QB depth chart. He was a 4th round pick in 2021.

Management added Marquise Brown in the offseason. The veteran WR only recorded 574 receiving yards last year. He was injured in the preseason opener and won’t be ready in week one. The running game is solid led by Isiah Pacheco followed by Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Don’t expect to see them play in this game. Deneric Prince and Keontay Ingram will likely see most of the action on the ground. They drafted Xavier Worthy in the first round out of Texas. The 21-year-old WR is expected to be a contributor. He has 11 receiving yards in the preseason.

The Chiefs' defense is also a strength. They have a stifling defensive line highlighted by Chris Jones who signed a mammoth contract extension. The big loss to the unit was their best corner from last season, L’Jarius Sneed. They will be relying on Trent McDuffie at CB. The pass defense was fourth last year while the rush defense was 18th.

Kansas City scored an average of 21.8 points last year, marking them 15th. The Chiefs held opponents to 17.3 points, good for second.