Chargers open as 8.5-point favorites over Bears at home

The Chargers return to primetime in a Sunday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears

After a disappointing two-possession loss to the Chiefs in Week Seven, the Chargers have an opportunity for a bounce-back game against the Chicago Bears.

The season already appears to be slipping away from the Bolts as they’ve slipped to 2-4 on the season. The Bears game will be the last before the 2023 trade deadline, so this may be a final stand for Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco to try and convince the Spanos family to not offload talent and work towards 2024 cap compliance while trading is still an option.

The Bears have had a rough start to their season, but it might be unfair for DraftKings Sportsbook to project them as 8.5-point underdogs. Remember when the Chargers played the Raiders, with a rookie quarterback taking his first NFL start, and the Raiders managed to make it a one possession game that came down to a final fourth quarter drive?

Well, today the Bears played the Raiders with a first time rookie starter of their own, and they managed to blow the Raiders out 30-12.

Should Justin Fields remained sidelined when the Bears play the Bolts, it should give the Bolts a decent boost in the game… by Tyson Bagent did a respectable job in his absence, and provides a scrambling element that often troubles Staley’s defense.

The Bears’ Moneyline might be a sneaky underdog bet to place, as the +330 odds are a decent playout for a team riding an emotional high while their opponents are reeling from back-to-back losses.

What do you think, Bolts From the Blue? What bets would you place on this game?