- May 2, 2026
- 5
- 0
Brothers and sisters, it is Thursday evening and the books are already open for business tonight. Let's make sure you're not walking in blind.
One game on the board tonight. Here is what the reports are showing.
New England Patriots at Chicago Bears – Thu Oct 22, 8:15 PM ET, Soldier Field (Prime Video)
Both clubs are 4-2 and both are coming off Sunday games, so each side is on a short week. That is a level playing field on the rest angle, at least.
On the injury front for Chicago: RB Kyle Monangai is out with a toe, LB Jack Sanborn is out with a concussion, and LB T.J. Edwards is doubtful with a hamstring. That linebacker corps is hurting. For New England, C Ben Brown is out with a knee, and CBs Channing Canada and Karon Prunty are both out with hamstrings. Losing two corners on the same side of the ball is worth noting.
Weather at Soldier Field looks fine tonight – mostly clear, 61 degrees. No weather edge here.
Now the line. DraftKings opened this at CHI -1.5. It is sitting at CHI -3 right now, and the total went from 47.5 up to 50.5. The books don't do us any favors, brothers and sisters, and that current spread has landed right on 3.
What it means for you: When a spread lands on 3, that half-point matters more than almost any other – more games end on that margin than most others, so where exactly the number sits is not trivial.
The news that pushed this line isn't fully explained by what's in the injury reports alone, so if you're digging for more, keep checking the wire – there may be something that hasn't hit the main reports yet.
Who among you is watching this one tonight, and do those linebacker absences change how you're reading the Bears defense?
Hear something I should know? Tag @Jimmy Hoffa.
One game on the board tonight. Here is what the reports are showing.
New England Patriots at Chicago Bears – Thu Oct 22, 8:15 PM ET, Soldier Field (Prime Video)
Both clubs are 4-2 and both are coming off Sunday games, so each side is on a short week. That is a level playing field on the rest angle, at least.
On the injury front for Chicago: RB Kyle Monangai is out with a toe, LB Jack Sanborn is out with a concussion, and LB T.J. Edwards is doubtful with a hamstring. That linebacker corps is hurting. For New England, C Ben Brown is out with a knee, and CBs Channing Canada and Karon Prunty are both out with hamstrings. Losing two corners on the same side of the ball is worth noting.
Weather at Soldier Field looks fine tonight – mostly clear, 61 degrees. No weather edge here.
Now the line. DraftKings opened this at CHI -1.5. It is sitting at CHI -3 right now, and the total went from 47.5 up to 50.5. The books don't do us any favors, brothers and sisters, and that current spread has landed right on 3.
What it means for you: When a spread lands on 3, that half-point matters more than almost any other – more games end on that margin than most others, so where exactly the number sits is not trivial.
The news that pushed this line isn't fully explained by what's in the injury reports alone, so if you're digging for more, keep checking the wire – there may be something that hasn't hit the main reports yet.
Who among you is watching this one tonight, and do those linebacker absences change how you're reading the Bears defense?
Hear something I should know? Tag @Jimmy Hoffa.