A few weeks ago, this game was a tad less than exciting. But some recent developments, including the returns of A.J. Brown in New England and Caleb Williams in Chicago, have changed expectations significantly. Now, Patriots vs. Bears is suddenly a marquee matchup.
The Pats got off a rocky start to 2026, looking like they were suffering from a Super Bowl hangover. A 1-2 start, including a blowout loss to the Jags in Week 3, was less than ideal and Drake Maye looked lost to the point that some people in New England were questioning whether the Pats should bench last year’s MVP runner-up. But starting with a Week 4 win over Buffalo, Maye has regained his MVP form and all of a sudden the Pats look like a contender again. And the icing on the cake was the return last week of Brown from a high ankle sprain suffered in a Week 1 loss to Seattle.
In Chicago, the Bears got off to a fast start, putting up 59 points against the Panthers in Week 1, before sputtering to just nine points in a Week 2 loss to Minnesota. In that loss to the Vikings, Williams suffered what looked to be a significant injury, with many fearing he could miss extended time. Luckily for the Bears, Williams only missed three games (during which the team went 2-1) and returned last week in a 31-23 win over the Falcons, going 30-of-36 for 305 yards and a touchdown. That was good for a 111.2 passer rating.
This game will also feature a battle in the trenches, pitting New England’s run defense (91.8 yards per game) against D’Andre Swift and a Bears run game that leads the NFL in rushing yards per game (160.7) and averages 4.46 per carry.
Here’s a look at some of the notable markets on DraftKings Predictions for the Patriots and Bears ahead of tonight’s Thursday Night Football showdown.
Notable New England Patriots and Chicago Bears Markets on DraftKings Predictions
Thursday Night Football Game Markets
Pricing reflects market sentiment. Subject to change.
Stats
- New England has won three straight, beating Buffalo 29-26, Las Vegas 45-17 and the Jets 26-19 after a 35-6 loss at Jacksonville in Week 3
- The Patriots are 3-0 at Gillette Stadium and 1-2 on the road, including a loss in the season opener at Seattle, 13-10
- Chicago is 2-1 at Soldier Field
- Both of Chicago’s losses came against NFC North opponents: 9-3 at home to Minnesota and 31-7 at Green Bay
- Chicago leads the NFL in rushing at 160.7 yards per game and 4.46 per carry, and is second in rushing touchdowns (13) behind Buffalo’s 14; New England is sixth at 130.7 per game but 21st with four rushing touchdowns
- The passing split runs the other way: New England has 11 passing touchdowns, seventh in the NFL, and Chicago has five
- Chicago’s third-down defense is second in the NFL at 25.8% (16-for-62), behind only Minnesota; New England is 11th at 37.1%
- Chicago is fifth in total offense (388.3 yards per game) and seventh in total defense (302.3); New England is seventh (374.2) and sixth (300.8)
- New England is fifth in scoring defense at 18.8 points allowed per game and Chicago is sixth at 19.8; Chicago is 12th in scoring at 25.0 and New England is 19th at 22.7
- Chicago has 17 sacks (eighth) and nine takeaways, six of them on fumbles; New England has 14 sacks and seven takeaways, four of them interceptions
- In the red zone, Chicago has scored 13 touchdowns on 26 trips and New England has scored 10 touchdowns on 18 trips
- Penalties are close to even: Chicago 44 for 342 yards, New England 45 for 357
Source: Sportradar NFL
TD Scorer Markets
Pricing reflects market sentiment. Subject to change.
Stats
- D’Andre Swift has six rushing touchdowns, seventh in the NFL, and ranks ninth in total touchdowns
- Swift has 94 carries (10th) for 398 yards (11th) at 4.2 per carry, plus 18 catches for 140 yards
- Kyle Monangai has three rushing touchdowns in four games and ranks fourth in the NFL in yards per carry (5.4)
- Caleb Williams has two rushing touchdowns on 19 carries for 110 yards; Roschon Johnson has one on 22 carries for 73 yards
- Luther Burden III, Kalif Raymond, Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet each have one receiving touchdown for Chicago
- Rome Odunze has 312 receiving yards and has yet to score
- Rhamondre Stevenson has two rushing touchdowns on 71 carries; TreVeyon Henderson has one in five games
- Drake Maye has one of New England’s four rushing touchdowns
- DeMario Douglas has three receiving touchdowns, tied for 14th in the NFL, as does Romeo Doubs; Hunter Henry has two
- Douglas and Henry both scored in the Week 6 win over the Jets
- A.J. Brown has no touchdowns in two games since joining New England
Source: Sportradar NFL
Pass Yards O/U Markets
Pricing reflects market sentiment. Subject to change.
Stats
- Caleb Williams leads the NFL in completion percentage (72.5%) and is 10th in passer rating (101.5)
- Williams is 66-for-91 for 712 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in three games, ranking 17th in passing yards per game (237.3) and ninth in yards per attempt (7.8)
- Williams went 30-of-36 for 305 yards and a touchdown in the 31-23 win at Atlanta in Week 6
- Drake Maye is 117-for-183 for 1,463 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions, a 92.8 rating that ranks 15th
- Maye is 11th in passing yards, seventh in passing touchdowns, seventh in yards per attempt (8.0) and sixth in air yards (918)
- Maye’s seven interceptions are the second-most in the NFL
- Maye went 18-of-32 for 235 yards and three touchdowns in the 26-19 win over the Jets in Week 6
- Maye has been sacked 11 times and Williams nine
- New England allows 209.0 passing yards per game and a 90.3 opponent passer rating; Chicago allows 211.8 and 99.9
Source: Sportradar NFL
Rush Yards O/U Markets
Pricing reflects market sentiment. Subject to change.
Stats
- Chicago leads the NFL in rushing yards per game (160.7) and averages 4.46 per carry
- Swift leads the Bears with 94 carries for 398 yards and six touchdowns, is 11th in the NFL in rushing yards and 12th in rushing yards per game (66.3)
- Monangai has 60 carries for 324 yards in four games, good for 81.0 per game (ninth) at 5.4 per carry (fourth), and his 61-yard run is the third-longest in the NFL
- Williams has 19 carries for 110 yards, 5.79 per attempt, with two touchdowns
- New England averages 130.7 rushing yards per game, sixth in the NFL, at 4.19 per carry
- Stevenson leads the Patriots with 71 carries for 263 yards (3.7 per carry) and two touchdowns
- Henderson has 49 carries for 194 yards and a touchdown in five games; Corey Kiner has 31 carries for 138 yards at 4.45 per attempt
- Maye has 34 carries for 185 yards, 5.44 per attempt, and a touchdown
- Kiner led New England in rushing in Week 6 with 11 carries for 57 yards; Stevenson had 14 for 36 and Henderson seven for 31
- New England’s run defense allows 91.8 yards per game (ninth) at 3.94 per carry; Chicago allows 90.5 (eighth) at 4.49
Source: Sportradar NFL
Rec Yards O/U Markets
Pricing reflects market sentiment. Subject to change.
Stats
- Luther Burden III leads Chicago with 31 catches (14th) on 43 targets for 361 yards (21st) and a touchdown, and ranks 22nd in yards after the catch (158)
- Rome Odunze has 20 catches on 33 targets for 312 yards at 15.6 per reception, 11th in the NFL, with no touchdowns
- Kalif Raymond has 26 catches on 29 targets for 244 yards and a touchdown; he is also third in the NFL in punt return yards (147) at 12.2 per return, fifth-best
- Colston Loveland has 19 catches on 30 targets for 175 yards and a touchdown; Cole Kmet has seven catches for 59 yards and a touchdown
- Swift has 18 catches for 140 yards and ranks 14th in yards after the catch
- Romeo Doubs leads New England in receiving yards with 261 on 14 catches, an 18.6 average that ranks fourth in the NFL, with three touchdowns and a 63-yard catch that ranks 10th
- DeMario Douglas has 20 catches on 30 targets for 233 yards and three touchdowns, including seven for 86 and a score against the Jets
- Hunter Henry has 19 catches on 24 targets for 225 yards and two touchdowns
- Mack Hollins has 15 catches for 209 yards in four games; Kyle Williams has six catches for 147 yards, a 24.5 average, and a touchdown
- A.J. Brown has six catches on 14 targets for 53 yards in two games with New England
- Eli Raridon has nine catches for 112 yards and a touchdown in five games, and Efton Chism III has nine for 98 and a touchdown in five
Source: Sportradar NFL
AFC East Division Winner Markets
Pricing reflects market sentiment. Subject to change.
Stats
- Buffalo is 5-1 with a plus-26 differential; New England is 4-2 at plus-23, a three-point gap
- New England beat Buffalo 29-26 at Highmark Stadium in Week 4 and is 2-0 in division play; Buffalo is 0-1
- New England has allowed 113 points, the fewest in the division; Buffalo has allowed 171, the most
- Buffalo’s 197 points lead the division and rank among the league’s highest; New England has scored 136
- The Jets are 2-4 and the Dolphins are 0-5 at minus-62
- New England’s 30% price is second in the division behind Buffalo’s 70%, with the Jets at 2% and Miami at 1%
Source: Sportradar NFL
NFC North Division Winner Markets
Pricing reflects market sentiment. Subject to change.
Stats
- Minnesota is 5-0 with a plus-45 differential and 2-0 in the division
- Chicago’s plus-31 is second in the division, ahead of Detroit’s plus-16 and Green Bay’s plus-2, despite its 22% price ranking third behind Detroit’s 24%
- Chicago is 0-2 in division play, losing 9-3 at home to Minnesota in Week 2 and 31-7 at Green Bay in Week 5
- Chicago’s 150 points are second in the division behind Detroit’s 164, though the Lions have played one fewer game
- Green Bay is also 4-2 and priced at 14%; Detroit is 3-2
- Chicago’s 119 points allowed are second-fewest in the division behind Minnesota’s 64
Source: Sportradar NFL
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