Week 1 of NFL Preseason action is nearly in the books, but first, we’ve got two games on Sunday’s slate to enjoy. At 1 p.m. EST, Ben Johnson makes his head coaching debut as the Chicago Bears host the Miami Dolphins in the Windy City.
Sunday afternoon football is officially back in session — here’s a prediction and pick for this Bears vs. Dolphins matinee.
Bears vs. Dolphins prediction, preview
The biggest storyline by far for this contest is how the Bears look in their first live action under the direction of their new head coach. After a dismal 5-12 finish despite the selection of No. 1 pick Caleb Williams and the addition of another first-round draftee in wideout Rome Odunze, last season’s result was quite the disappointment. The franchise responded by hiring the top coaching candidate on the market, luring Johnson away from a fantastic offense he helped engineer for the division-rival Lions.
On Sunday, fans get their first look at what Johnson and his scheme bring to the table with this group of personnel in Chicago. Sure, the exhibition won’t tell all, but it’s exciting nonetheless as the expectations for this team are higher than ever given the offseason moves to revamp the offensive line and add more pass-catching talent in the NFL Draft’s early rounds. Ideally, Colston Loveland and Luther Burden can get on the field to see some reps, though the starters like Williams won’t play much.
Whatever players take the field will have a fairly simple test against a Dolphins defense which doesn’t project among top units this season. Miami went 8-9 in 2024 and struggled on both sides of the ball, but the offense has questions to answer as they seek to improve the offensive line and regain their prior high-scoring form seen in past years with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle as the primary receivers. Those guys likely won’t see the field for long — if at all — but Jaylen Wright and Malik Washington are a couple of intriguing names to keep an eye on along with Ollie Gordon, who could potentially spring up the running back depth chart.
Bears vs. Dolphins pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Bears as three-point favorites with -170 odds to win on the Moneyline. The Dolphins are listed at +142 to win outright with the game total set at 35.5 points.
Preseason games are tricky to bet on since proven stars don’t tend to see the field much, if at all. Instead, these exhibitions serve as an opportunity for young talent to see valuable reps against live competition as fringe players compete for roster spots on the final 53-man depth chart.
However, the Bears do bring a deeper defense than the Dolphins do, and they could also see a couple of highly-touted young talents such as Loveland and Burden play through the first few drives. The Dolphins’ top playmakers might see a little bit of action after head coach Mike McDaniel said he’s like to get starters a few snaps, but once they sub out, this feels like a game Chicago can win and cover in. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen didn’t succeed at prior stops as a head coach, but he’s solid in these lesser roles and should call a good game too. Bears -3 makes plenty of sense.
