The Eagles have started 2-0, but the early record hasn’t exactly come with room to breathe. Philadelphia slipped past the Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans by narrow margins, and now the schedule turns to a matchup that looks much trickier on paper.
Then again, the picture in Chicago is muddy enough to make this one hard to pin down. Ben Johnson’s Bears erupted for 59 points against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, then came back to earth in a big way with a three-point home loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2. That game also brought a hamstring injury for Caleb Williams, which throws another layer of uncertainty onto Monday Night Football.
FanDuel opened Philadelphia as a 3.5-point road favorite, a number that would likely look different if Williams were expected to play. If he can’t go, Tyson Bagent would be next up for Chicago.
Bagent has only limited NFL experience, but he did get four starts as an undrafted rookie in 2023 and finished those games 2-2. In that stretch, he threw three touchdowns against six interceptions and posted a 73.0 passer rating. He also gave the Bears something with his legs, rushing 23 times for 109 yards and two scores.
Chicago has kept faith in him because of what he’s done in preseason. Over the past three summers, Bagent has totaled 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in exhibition play.
That doesn’t guarantee much once the games count, but it does explain why the Bears are comfortable having him in the mix. There are certainly worse backup options than Bagent.
Andy Dalton was the example given.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, hasn’t cashed in against the spread yet. The Eagles are 0-2 ATS after failing to cover as 5.5-point home favorites against Washington and then missing as seven-point road favorites against Tennessee.
That leaves the betting angle hanging in the balance. The question is whether the Eagles can win by enough to cover this number, and whether they can do it against a Bears team that looked electric one week and flat the next. There’s also the possibility of a statement game for Philadelphia after being embarrassed by Chicago on Black Friday last year.
There’s confidence in Jalen Hurts, but there are still concerns about the Eagles in the trenches. And if Jonathan Greenard is able to return, the defense could get a boost there as well. For now, the lean is toward taking the points, with the door left open to changing that view before next Monday.
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Tributes on NBC Sports Philadelphia reflected just how much Bottalico means around the city, and the response from the Philadelphia sports community was immediate and heartfelt. For fans who have watched him stay connected to the organization in retirement, the support has been a reminder that some moments reach well beyond baseball, with the focus now squarely on family and the road ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Old Pitching Bet Just Got A Lot Tougher To Defend
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Lees rise in Detroit has only sharpened that contrast. He reached the majors in 2026 and then made a little history by becoming the first Taiwanese-born player in MLB history to hit 10 home runs in a season, which adds another layer to what the Tigers got in return. For the Phillies, the trade now sits in that uncomfortable space between a short-term pitching gamble and a long-term talent loss, with Lorenzens uneven finish and limited postseason role doing little to ease the comparison. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Just Spotlighted Two Rising Names Fans Need To Know
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McFarlane has been turning heads with his work across both the minors and the majors, while Rincon has taken a notable step forward at Double-A Reading, especially in his bat-to-ball production and overall consistency. For a club that always keeps an eye on the next wave, the recognition underscores how much value the Phillies are getting from players still carving out their places in the system. [Read more 🡒]