Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Chargers: Predictions, picks and odds for NFL Week 8 game
The Chicago Bears (2-5) take momentum from a monster Week 7 win and travel west to face the Los Angeles Chargers (2-4) in a Week 8 matchup.
Last week, the Bears shocked the Las Vegas Raiders 30-12 in Tyson Bagent's NFL debut. Filling in for an injured Justin Fields, the former Shepherd University quarterback went 21-of-29 for 162 yards and a touchdown. The running backs, led by 89 yards and two touchdowns from D'Onta Foreman, added 173 yards of offense. Bagent will get the start again as Fields continues to recover.
The Chargers slumped in a division matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs where they lost 31-17. Justin Herbert, the second-highest-paid player in the league, went 17-of-30 for 259 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He was sacked five times. Star running back Austin Ekeler has been slow to return to full form after an ankle injury and had 14 carries for 45 yards, an average of 3.2 yards on the day.
Will the veteran Herbert or the rookie Bagent get the final say in this one?
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Chargers vs. Bears odds, moneyline, over/under
The Chargers are favorites to defeat the Bears, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2023.
Spread: Chargers (-8.5)
Moneyline: Chargers (-450); Bears (+340)
Over/under: 46.5
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NFL Week 8 odds, predictions and picks
Bills vs. Buccaneers | Panthers vs. Texans | Cowboys vs. Rams | Packers vs. Vikings | Colts vs. Saints | Dolphins vs. Patriots | Giants vs Jets | Steelers vs. Jaguars | Titans vs. Falcons | Commanders vs. Eagles | Seahawks vs. Browns | Cardinals vs. Ravens | Broncos vs. Chiefs | 49ers vs. Bengals | Chargers vs. Bears | Lions vs. Raiders
Lorenzo Reyes: Chargers 21, Bears 17
This is a huge line for a Los Angeles team that hasn’t won a game this season by more than one score. The Bears were functional with Tyson Bagent at quarterback and Chicago has covered two of its last three.
Tyler Dragon: Chargers 25, Bears 18
Brandon Staley’s seat is getting hotter after the Chargers' sputtering start. This is a must-win game for the Chargers if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive. The underachieving Chargers are more talented than the Bears, especially without dual-threat QB Justin Fields.
Safid Deen: Chargers 24, Bears 16
First of all: Why is this game on Sunday night? Also, why is this game on Sunday night?! Anyways, no team with high expectations needs a bounce-back win more than Brandon Staley, Justin Herbert and the Chargers do. They’ll get it against Chicago this week.
Victoria Hernandez: Bears 23, Chargers 19
The Chargers should win this game, but as we all saw last week, anything can happen in the NFL. Rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent is feeling good after shocking the world with a win and leading the Bears to three touchdown drives last week while Justin Herbert is looking for answers after back-to-back losses.
Jordan Mendoza: Chargers 29, Bears 20
Chicago looked amazing against Las Vegas with Tyson Bagent under center, but they'll be going against a Charger defense that has mostly been able to get to the quarterback. The Chargers' offense stalled against Kansas City in the second half last week, but they should be able to feast against the Bears' defense, as long as they don't beat themselves again.
You can view the full list of USA TODAY's NFL expert predictions here.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Chargers: Game predictions, picks, odds
