Sunday, September 27, 2020, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, 1 p.m. ET
Bears at Falcons Betting Preview: Bears (+3/-100), Falcons (-3/-120)
Chicago Bears
Granted, the Bears have shown flaws in the first two weeks of NFL action, but they have found a way to post a 2-0 record with wins against the Detroit Lions and New York Giants. Is that a sign the Bears are a legitimate playoff contender, or simply the product of facing inferior competition? This week could help provide the answer to that question.
Mitchell Trubisky will head into his third start of the 2020 campaign after beating out Nick Foles for the starting quarterback job during training camp. Trubisky has been good but not great, and he has a chance to feast against a Falcons team that has allowed an NFL-worst 78 points through the first two weeks. Allen Robinson could be looking for a breakout game after a quiet start. Robinson is seeking a new contract and has a chance to pad his statistics against Atlanta’s porous defensive unit.
Another player in the spotlight for the Bears will be rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson, a second-round pick from Utah, who could match up against Julio Jones and or Calvin Ridley during the contest. Johnson has shown glimpses of his potential in the early going, and this will be his toughest game yet.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have staggered to an 0-2 start after losses against the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys. It will be interesting to see how they respond to their meltdown in Week 2, in which an inexcusable miscue on special teams allowed the Cowboys to rally for the win. Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is in his sixth season and has never faced the amount of pressure that he does going into Week 3. Look for him to lead a desperate Falcons’ team that is intent on avoiding its first 0-3 start since the 2007 campaign.
Matt Ryan is a steadying influence at quarterback, and as long as he can avoid the Bears’ pass rush, he will have chances to make big plays downfield. He has a stellar one-two punch at receiver in Ridley and Jones, and Todd Gurley is more than capable in the backfield.
As for defense, it has not been pretty for Atlanta. But Trubisky is prone to mental errors and inaccurate throws, and if Atlanta ever is going to get back on track on the defensive side, this could be the week.
Bears at Falcons Betting Pick for Week 3
It’s interesting, but not entirely surprising, that Atlanta heads into the game as the favorites even though it is 0-2 and Chicago is 2-0. The Falcons have home-field advantage, whatever that means in 2020, but the more important item in its favor is desperation.
Chicago deserves credit for its 2-0 start, but luck certainly has played a role. Trubisky has had bursts of solid play, but overall he remains difficult to trust for a full four-quarter game.
Look for the Falcons to emerge with the win in a contest that likely will not be particularly pretty to watch. At the end of the day, Ryan is a proven veteran who will find a way to move the ball and evade the Bears’ pass rush.
Bears at Falcons Betting Pick:
Falcons 26, Bears 24
Bears at Falcons Best Bet for Week 2
The Falcons have given up 38 points and 40 points in the first two weeks, respectively. It’s reasonable to think they will tighten things up in Week 3, but how much can they actually improve week over week?
The Bears have questions on offense but also are capable of putting up points with players such as Allen Robinson, David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen.
Bears at Falcons Best Bet: OVER 47 (-110)
