In the final game of the Week 3 NFL slate, the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears will meet in a Monday Night Football matchup.
The Eagles look to remain undefeated with a 2-0 start to the season, while the Bears dropped to 1-1 after Caleb Williams suffered a hamstring injury last week. Williams’ absence in this matchup is notable, with Case Keenum expected to get the start under center.
Looking at the odds, the Eagles enter as 3.5-point favorites with -192 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Bears are +160 to pull off the upset, with the game total set at 41.5 points.
There are plenty of ways to get involved beyond just backing a side or total. Let’s take a look at my top three favorite player props for the Week 3 Monday Night Football matchup.
Eagles vs. Bears NFL Player Prop Bets for Monday Night Football
De’Andre Swift Over 60.5 Rushing Yards (-115)
While Caleb Williams headlines the offensive attack, the Bears lean on their rushing attack at a high rate with or without him on the field. After rushing for 1,000+ yards last season, De’Andre Swift has tallied 169 rushing yards and three touchdowns through the first two weeks of this season, with 233 total yards from scrimmage. Kyle Monangai also plays a role in the rushing attack, but Swift will get the inside track and be eager for revenge against the organization he used to suit up for.
Swift faced the Eagles for the first time as an opponent since leaving last year, and recorded 125 rushing yards and a touchdown in the matchup. The Bears rushed for 281 total yards in this matchup. Stopping the rush has been a problem for Philadelphia again this season. Through their opening two games, the Eagles rank 25th in total rushing yards allowed, 17th in rushing touchdowns conceded, and 17th in net yards per rush attempt. They faced off with the Washington Commanders in the season opener, allowing 132 total rushing yards with Jacory Croskey-Merritt heading the production with 63 yards on the ground. More recently, the Tennessee Titans tallied 122 total rushing yards against the Eagles as Tony Pollard led the way with 64 yards on the ground.
Chicago has a more dynamic offense and rushing attack than either opponent that the Eagles have faced thus far, with Swift at the epicenter of it. He kicked off the season with 124 rushing yards against the Panthers in the opener, and tallied 99 yards from scrimmage last week despite being limited to just 45 rushing yards. Expect the Bears to have a clear focus on establishing the running game with Williams not there to lead the attack through the air. Swift had major success against this Eagles defensive front last year, and the unit looks even more vulnerable to start this season. Count on the 60.5 rushing yard total to be too low based on the content of the matchup, and for this to be a comfortable bar to clear.
Dontayvion Wicks Over 40.5 Receiving Yards (-112)
There were plenty of questions about how the Eagles would replace the production of A.J. Brown coming into the season. While Philadelphia is still fully figuring out the answer to this question themselves, it is clear that Dontayvion Wicks is a major part of the effort. The former Packers’ standout has tallied seven receptions for 147 yards and has reached the end zone once already in his Eagles’ career. He recorded 73 yards in Week 1 and 74 yards in the most recent matchup.
One clear takeaway from the first two matchups of the season has been how dependent this new-look offense under Sean Mannion is on the tight end position. Dallas Goedert led the team with 77 receiving yards and two touchdowns in Week 1. But after being heavily involved in the attack in the early portions of Week 2, Goedert was forced to leave the matchup with a sprained MCL. Philadelphia signed Zach Ertz this week and will hope he catches up to the flow of the offense quickly as the only real threat as a pass catcher at the position following Goedert’s injury. But this is a difficult ask considering the rapid turnaround and effects from last year’s gruesome ACL tear that Ertz suffered last year.
Count on Wicks seeing his responsibilities shift to be more involved in the quick passing game as a safety valve for Jalen Hurts. The offseason addition has done a nice job of getting on the same page as his quarterback, including making plays with ad-lib situations already this year. Chicago has been vulnerable in the secondary, entering this matchup ranking 26th in total passing yards allowed and 27th in net yards per pass attempt. Count on the 40.5 receiving yard line to be too low based on Wicks’ usage in the offense, and back him to clear this bar for the third straight week.
Jalen Hurts Over 1.5 Passing Touchdowns (+117)
It has not been exactly smooth sailing for the Eagles’ passing attack through the opening two weeks, but the reality is the team is 2-0, and Jalen Hurts has tallied five touchdowns through the air. He kicked off the season against the Commanders, completing 14 of his 25 pass attempts for 202 passing yards and three touchdowns in the season opener. The former Super Bowl MVP followed this up by completing 26 of his 37 pass attempts for 264 passing yards and a pair of passing scores last week against the Tennessee Titans.
Philadelphia has not gotten their expected level of push from the offensive line to start the year. This has been problematic in the rushing attack, and especially evident in the red zone. Philadelphia has just one rushing score thus far, which came via Tank Bigsby. The ineffectiveness of this red zone rushing attack has forced more onto Hurts’ shoulders, and he has largely delivered.
Expect this to play out the same way against this Bears’ defense tonight. Chicago was shredded by Bryce Young for 361 yards through the air and three passing scores in Week 1, and the Bears holding the Vikings without a passing score last year said a bit more about the play of Carson Wentz than any defensive improvement. With Barkley banged up, the offensive line largely ineffective, and the short passing game becoming the foundation of their offensive attack, Hurts is going to get plenty of chances to make his mark with his arm. Getting +117 odds for Hurts to record at least two passing touchdowns for the third straight week is great value. Expect Philadelphia to put the responsibility on Hurts’ shoulders in the red zone and for him to deliver for the third straight week.
