It might be early days, but Monday night’s matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) and the Chicago Bears (0-1) will go a long way to setting up the tempo for the rest of the season, potentially even telling us whether or not these two teams are legit title and playoff contenders. Follow us as we take you through a brief NFL betting preview of this Monday Night Football game, complete with free football betting picks.

Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears NFL Odds and Game Information

Where:Soldier Field, Chicago When: Monday, September 19, 8:30 PM ET TV Broadcast: ESPN, WATCH ESPN NFL Lines: Chicago (-3), OVER/UNDER 42    

Why Bet on Philadelphia

Rookie QB Carson Wentz played decently in his NFL debut, leading Philly to a 29-10 victory over the Browns. It won’t be easy going against the Bears at Soldier Field, as Chicago boasts of a slightly better defense than Cleveland and a talent-endowed offense than it is miles ahead of the Browns. But with weapons like Ryan Mathews and Jordan Matthews in the offense, Wentz could easily be up for another solid performance. The Eagles should additionally be helped by the fact that Chicago’s O-line looked vulnerable against Houston, with Jay Cutler and his offense suffering numerous hits and getting harassed incessantly last week; something Philly’s defense can look to exploit after it showed strongly against the Browns last week.  

Why Bet on Chicago

There are many question marks on Chicago ahead of this Monday Night fixture, but one thing is for certain; Cutler and his offense will do better against a Philly defense that is not as daunting as Houston’s. Jim Schwartz’s D is a work in progress, and that should allow the likes of Jeremy Langford, Kevin White and Alshon Jeffrey time to shine. In the defense, the Bears have a lot to clean up, though handling a rookie quarterback should be a big motivation for the hosts to force a good number of mistakes and turnovers.  

Expert NFL Picks and Writer’s Predictions

Wentz and the Eagles bring a surprise element into this game, so you shouldn’t discount them totally from pulling off an upset. That said, Chicago is the more talented team with proven starters, especially in the offense, and we believe that this experience will prove to be the winning difference this Monday Night as the Bears record their first victory of the season.

Predicted Final Score: Chicago 28, Philadelphia 23

Writer’s Pick: Chicago (-3)