The Bengals’ offense could be so much more special if the players could stay healthy. Joe Burrow’s absence has hurt the team’s chances at Super Bowl contention yet again, making this season another mediocre campaign.
Cincinnati will host the Bears, who have shown some promise in Ben Johnson’s first year coaching.
Chicago is a 2.5-point favorite and -148 on the moneyline, while Cincinnati is +124 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at 51.5 points.
Here are my favorite player props for this Week 9 NFL game between the Bears and Bengals.
Bears vs. Bengals Best Prop Bets
Ja’Marr Chase over 8.5 receptions (-134)
Joe Flacco is questionable for Sunday’s game, but it doesn’t really matter who’s throwing Ja’Marr Chase the ball. The Bengals’ wideout is one of the best in the league and has produced at an elite level regardless of who’s under center.
A healthy Flacco would be ideal for this prop bet, but it’s not a necessity. Jake Browning will also find Chase if he’s the starter.
Chase leads the NFL with 70 receptions through eight games. That’s an average of 8.75 per game, but it’s trended upward over the past three weeks. He has 38 receptions on 54 targets during this stretch. It would not be wise to bet against him at this point.
Chicago’s defense is much worse against the run, but it’s not an exceptional unit against the pass either. The Bengals could opt for some more rushes because of this, but the majority of the offense will be through the air to Chase.
Chase to score a touchdown at -130 is also a great bet since Chicago allows the third most passing touchdowns in the league.
Rome Odunze over 62.5 receiving yards (-111)
After poor showings in Weeks 6 and 7, Rome Odunze had 114 yards on 7-of-10 targets in Week 8 against the Ravens. Baltimore doesn’t have the greatest defense, so sure, take it with a grain of salt, but the Bengals are even worse.
Cincinnati allows the third most passing yards and second most passing touchdowns this season. Overall, the defense ranks last in both points allowed and yards allowed. It should be an offense-heavy game, even from an average offensive team.
Odunze is the top option for Chicago, so expect him to see plenty of targets in this one
Caleb Williams over 243.5 passing yards (-110)
As mentioned before, the Bengals’ defense is the worst in the league. That’s not hyperbole either; stats back it up. The Bengals allowed 16 points in Week 1 and haven’t allowed fewer than 27 since.
It’s likely that the Bears score a lot on Sunday, and they’ll do so through the air. Caleb Williams is not the No. 1 pick many envisioned him to be so far, but he’s still a great talent and has surpassed this over as recent as last week.
If you’re confident in the Odunze prop, it makes sense to pair this with it. Williams won’t have much resistance in this matchup.