Cincinnati Bengals vs Chicago Bears Odds & Predictions for Preseason Week 2

• The Chicago Bears host the Cincinnati Bengals Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET on NFL Network for Week 2 of the NFL Preseason.
• The Bears (2-0) are considered favorites to keep their perfect preseason record alive against the 0-1 Bengals, who fell to the Buccaneers in preseason Week 1.
• Keep scrolling for a further look at the latest odds, best picks and a prediction for Saturday’s preseason tilt.

Week 2 of the NFL preseason is almost here and we’ve got a good one live on NFL Network Saturday afternoon. The Chicago Bears and perhaps No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams are set to take the field against the Cincinnati Bengals, who are expected to play without starters. Chicago has yet to announce whether starters will hit the field Saturday.

Either way, there’s plenty to be excited about. Keep scrolling for a look at the latest odds from some of the best NFL betting apps and a prediction for Saturday’s Week 2 preseason matchup.

Chicago Bears vs. Cincinnati Bengals Prediction

• Bears -6 (-110)

I think the Bears win this one with Soldier Field’s finest cheering them on. Chicago is 6-2 under Matt Eberflus in the preseason, and they’re fresh off a 33-6 blowout of a good Bills team, even shutting down their starters. That’s impressive, and the Bears backups have been stout on the defensive side since the 2nd quarter of the Hall of Fame game.

The Bengals saw all they needed from Joe Burrow last week against Tampa Bay. He completed 5 of his 7 attempts for a touchdown and finished with a passer rating of 131.5. QB Logan Woodside had a better day than fellow backup Jake Browning, leading a touchdown drive culminating in a 37-yard TD reception by Jermaine Burton.

Slidin’ in @NASAMAINE3

📺: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/BJH8zredZi

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 11, 2024

The Bears secondary is deep and should be a high point in their defense this season, which will challenge Browning/Woodside in the 2nd half.

Remember when I mentioned Eberflus is 6-2 in preseason matchups with the Bears? The Bengals’ Zac Taylor is a dreadful 3-10 in such games. It’s hard to lean into that trend too much considering coaches are focused more on individual play than results, but it’s more than relevant in this betting context.

Bears 31, Bengals 17

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Bears vs. Bengals Odds (Caesars)

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The home team is always going to be favored in preseason matchups, and that’s just the case with Bears vs. Bengals on Saturday. Chicago is listed as a touchdown favorite, though the line is bound to shift once a decision has been made regarding Chicago’s starters.

The Bears are considerable moneyline favorites, naturally. Chicago is sitting at -267 to win outright while Cincinnati comes in at +215.

As for the over/under, Caesars has set the total at 36.5 – about the median number across Week 2’s preseason slate. Chicago probably has the better 2nd team offense – one led by Khalil Herbert and Brett Rypien, who has made his push for QB2 in the Windy City.

Bears vs. Bengals Names to Watch

• Jermaine Burton, Cincinnati WR
• Ian Wheeler, Chicago RB
• HM: Caleb Williams, Chicago QB

Let’s get my “honorable mention” addressed front and center: Caleb Williams’ preseason debut was nothing short of fantastic. If he plays Saturday, he’s absolutely the one to keep an eye on. The No. 1 overall pick out of USC completed 4 of his 7 passes for 95 yards with a 13-yard rush for a first down against Buffalo, an even better statline when you remember 2 of his 3 incompletions were in-the-hands drops. We’ll need a bigger sample size to know for sure, but Williams certainly looks the part after Game 1 folks.

Let’s hop over to Cincinnati’s sideline and talk about Jermaine Burton next. You saw his touchdown grab above, but what’s more impressive is that he was by far the most effective receiver on the field last Saturday. He hauled in 3 receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown across 4 total targets absolutely passed the eye test in the process. I’m very interested to follow Burton closely against Chicago’s solid secondary.

Wheeler, for those who watched Hard Knocks, is likely battling for a spot with 3rd-year vet Velus Jones Jr at running back. He runs hard and has shown he’s tough to bring down, even impressive against 3rd team defenses. Wheeler was the leading rusher for both teams in last week’s thrashing of the Bills, totaling 42 yards on 5 carries with 2 touchdowns.

Let’s hear it for Ian Wheeler ~ five carries, 43 yards and two TDs in his debut with the @ChicagoBears!

Way to represent!

@HUBISONFOOTBALL#BleedBlue 🦬

🎥: NFL Network pic.twitter.com/w8g0lINwZD

— Howard Athletics (@HUBisonSports) August 10, 2024