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The Daily Sweat: Mac Jones expected to return, but will that help Patriots?

Mac Jones is expected back for the New England Patriots on Monday night, according to multiple reports. We can see if that's a positive change.

Bailey Zappe played pretty well when Jones missed three games due to a high ankle sprain. The Patriots didn't entertain a quarterback controversy, but Zappe's solid play does set one up down the road if Jones doesn't play well.

The point spread didn't move with news that Jones would return. The Patriots have been an 8-point favorite over the Chicago Bears at BetMGM the past few days and that's where the line stood on Monday morning.

The question for the Patriots is if the offense started to improve around the quarterback the past few weeks, or if the offense struggling was a reflection of Jones. Jones had just a 76.2 passer rating through three games and the Patriots were 1-2. The Patriots are 2-1 since with the only loss coming late in overtime at the Green Bay Packers.

The Patriots are playing better. If the Bears are playing better, it's hard to see.

Chicago is coming off an ugly Thursday night loss to the Washington Commanders in which they should have won but made a ton of mistakes to give the game away. The offense has opened up a bit lately, but quarterback Justin Fields still isn't throwing it that often. The Bears haven't been good, mostly because the offense has been bad. They'll probably need some offense to cover on Monday night.

It's not a great Monday night matchup, but a key storyline is Jones' return. We'll see if that helps New England.

New England Patriots QB Mac Jones is expected to start on Monday night against the Bears. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
New England Patriots QB Mac Jones is expected to start on Monday night against the Bears. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Here's the first look at the sports betting slate for Monday:

Any props for Monday?

I'll go with the over on Justin Fields' 159.5 passing yards. It's a very small number and the Bears might be forced to pass if they're down. The point spread is Bears +8 so they could be forced to throw. They have thrown it more the past two weeks.

I'll also go over on Rhamondre Stevenson's 62.5 rushing yards. He has rushed for more than that in four straight games and even with Damien Harris back, perhaps the Patriots bump his playing time up just a bit. He was really impressive with Harris out and the team knows he can handle as much as they give him.

NBA continues on Monday

There's no baseball since both the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros ended their series on Sunday and will meet in the World Series. That means our best non-football option is the NBA.

The best game is probably the Brooklyn Nets at Memphis Grizzlies (-1.5) but the most interesting story on Monday could be the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers are lucky the Phillies and Eagles are doing so well, or they'd be getting ripped for their 0-3 start. The 76ers are 11.5-point favorites over the Indiana Pacers and they need to look better, even if the city of Philadelphia is preoccupied with their better teams.

NHL and soccer also on the schedule

There are six NHL games on Monday including a few good ones. The highlights are probably the 4-0-1 Pittsburgh Penguins at the Edmonton Oilers (-125) or the Toronto Maple Leafs (-120) at the Vegas Golden Knights. The Golden Knights might be worth a look as a small home underdog.

In the English Premier League, the Monday match is Bournemouth vs. West Ham United, and West Ham United is -185 favorites on the three-way line.

What's the best bet?

We'll stick with the Bears, just because they have kept games close lately and I'm not convinced the Patriots will be very explosive on offense with Jones back from a three-game absence. The truth is it's probably not a game I'd be playing if it was stuck on the normal Sunday schedule.