London will be rocking with NFL fans in Europe, as the league takes their act to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a match between the Chicago Bears and the Oakland Raiders. Both teams are coming off impressive wins, but who will cross the pond and return to America with a win?
It’s time for another Mitchell Trubisky Watch. However, this concerns less of his performance under center, but more of his health. Trubisky left in the first quarter of last Sunday’s 16-6 home win over the Minnesota Vikings and did not return after hurting his shoulder. The Bears turned to backup quarterback Chase Daniel to guide their offense, and he responded, passing for 195 yards and a touchdown on 22-of-30 completions. Daniel is the starter in Week 5 for Chicago if Trubisky can’t give it a go. Moreover, in that scenario, Chicago will look to involve their running backs more in the offense. David Montgomery had 53 rushing yards on 21 carries against Minnesota, which was far from ideal, but he can find more success against Oakland’s run defense that is ranked 16th in the NFL with 104.5 rushing yards allowed per game. The Bears’ defense is always there to cover up the holes on the team. In the Vikings game, Chicago had six sacks and held Minnesota down to only 40 rushing yards.
The Bears are 3-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last four road games.
Betting on the Oakland Raiders (2-2)
The Raiders got some much-needed momentum heading into a showdown with the Bears. In Week 4, Oakland relied on a well-balanced attack to score a 31-24 road win over the Indianapolis Colts. Quarterback Derek Carr passed for 189 yards on 21-of-31 completions and had two touchdowns with zero interceptions. Josh Jacobs and Trevor Davis combined for 153 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. While Chicago’s top unit presents a huge challenge for Carr and company, the Raiders finding their groove offensively will boost their confidence. The Raiders are putting up 19.8 points per game — 21st in the NFL — and 335.8 total yards per contest — 22nd in the league. If Trubisky won’t be able to play in London, the Raiders will have a lighter load on defense, though, they can’t underestimate the effectiveness of Daniel.
The Raiders are 4-1 ATS in their last five games at home. Four of those games also went under the totals line.
