Monday Night Football from Soldier Field, Eagles/Bears. When the schedule makers put this game on prime time in Week 3 with Jalen Hurts vs. Caleb Williams, they had all of America in mind. It wasn’t on their bingo card that it would be Jalen Hurts vs. Caleb Keenum, but that’s the direction we’re trending. Let’s dive in and take a look at this week’s Monday Night Football Best Bets. Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears.
Kickoff for Monday Night Football is set for 8:15 PM ET on ABC/ESPN with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on the call. Historic Soldier Field will play host. The Bears enter this game 1-1 after a win against the Carolina Panthers and a close loss against the Minnesota Vikings last week. Caleb Williams’ scary-looking injury turned out to not be as bad as it first appeared. He’s still likely to miss a few weeks, but no big deal. Special agent Bagent can step in and hold the fort down like he’s done before. Unfortunately for the Bears, Tyson Bagent entered concussion protocol after coming in for the injured Williams last week. He didn’t practice Friday, meaning it’s not looking good for his Monday availability. That leaves veteran quarterback Case Keenum as the next man up for Chicago.
Philadelphia is 2-0 coming into this game. They’ve snuck away with two close wins against teams that look much worse than Philadelphia. First, the Commanders kept it close by coming in the back door late, and then the Tennessee Titans held their own against the Eagles. Philadelphia has their own share of injuries. Saquon Barkley is off the report and ready to go. His running back mates Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley are both listed as questionable. DeVonta Smith is questionable but likely to play. Dallas Goedert is a doubt. Zach Ertz has been reunited with the team. There is a good chance we see Ertz elevated for action Monday night.
Monday Night Football Best Bets: Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears
Saquon Barkley Over 72.5 Rushing Yards (-115)
Barkley is back after suffering a stinger in last week’s game. Lucky for us, that’s an injury that rarely has any lasting effects, and Saquon should be fully ready to roll Monday night. Barkley ran for 83 yards against Washington in Week 1. Aaron Jones, who wasn’t fully healthy himself, ran all over the Chicago Bears defense in Week 2, stacking up 105 yards on the ground. Back in Week 1, Chubba Hubbard and AJ Dillon combined to clear this number as well.
Colston Loveland Over 32.5 Receiving Yards (-111)
One catch for three yards from the tight end that people had as their #1 guy this year, and drafted in the third round of their fantasy football drafts, isn’t a very good start through two games. I’m not saying he’s back in Week 3. With Case Keenum at quarterback, it’s hard to expect a ton out of this Bears offense. But I do think Ben Johnson focuses on Loveland and getting him involved.
Loveland wasn’t picked to be #1 or drafted that high in fantasy football because he’s a bad player. The talent is there; we saw it last year when he cleared this mark in 10 of his last 13 games, including a 137-yard day in a playoff win over Green Bay. This is a good player who just needs worked in and is getting a low number based on a couple of bad games and the quarterback situation. He’ll be a safety blanket for Keenum to check down to.
Philadelphia Eagles -4.5 (-115)
How is this line still at -4.5? Do the books think Caleb Williams is gonna wipe his tears away with his freshly painted nails and be on the field? It’s going to be 38-year-old Case Keenum, who hasn’t taken a snap in the NFL since 2023. I get that Ben Johnson is a mastermind; I get that the Philadelphia Eagles haven’t done well against the spread against two bad teams. None of that matters on Monday night. This will be an Eagles cakewalk. Get it at this low number before it shoots up on game day!
