It's Low for a Reason. Take the Under in Bears vs. Commanders

Commanders vs. Bears, 8:15 ET

Does anyone actually want to watch this game? I feel like we talk about this every single year with Thursday Night Football. The unique thing about football is that if a game is on, you tend to watch no matter what - and I'm not saying a couple of plays, I'm saying start to finish. Baseball you almost only find people watching their own team. Basketball you might find people watching the games of the week, but those are almost always with superstars or big-market teams. Hockey doesn't get on television enough. For the NFL, they can put games like this, and frankly, we will watch no matter what. I think we should sniff out a bet and make it more interesting.

The news out of Washington this week wasn't exactly around the performance of the team in the most recent game. Instead, it was around one simple word and an interesting explanation. Head coach Ron Rivera answered with "Quarterback." when asked what the issues with the Commanders has been. It was more of a shot at all quarterback play since he got there when he expanded on it, but he was definitely talking about Carson Wentz's performance too. Wentz could have beat the Titans last week but ended the game with a bad interception - his sixth of the season. Wentz is questionable for the game with what I can only assume is a hurt ego. Apparently, he made up with Rivera already, but either he comes out and plays the game of his life or lays a dud. I personally don't see there being much in between. This game is between two offensively challenged teams with defenses that are probably their better asset.

For as bad as the Bears look on offense at times, they don't really ever give up. And, they've only played in one game where they lost by more than one score. (That was against the Packers who own the entire Bears franchise and have for years.) Justin Field is still struggling to make plays at a consistent level. He has only three touchdowns on the year and four interceptions. The bigger issue, at least to me, is that through five games, he only has 679 yards. That's alarmingly low. Do you know who has 26 fewer yards than him? Mitch Trubisky and he didn't play in all of the Steelers games. In front of him is Mac Jones by over 100 yards who also has missed time. Luckily, the Bears defense seems to be putting it together rather well. This season they are allowing just 21.2 points per game to opponents, and are in the top 15 for points per game.

The under in this game was the obvious answer, but it has already dropped almost three points. Neither one of these teams have been good in the first half. The Bears are averaging just 6.4 points in the first half, and the Commanders are averaging 6.2. I'm going to walk on the wild side and take under 19 points in the first half. Three touchdowns or two field goals and two touchdowns do me in, but a scoreless first quarter wouldn't surprise me. It's been raining for two straight days in Chicago. The field will be terrible.

Fun Props: The first score of a field goal is looking like a good option at -110. I'll also put something on Away Field Goal at +300 and Home Field Goal at +270 for first score options. In seven of the 10 games these two have played this season, a field goal has been the first score. Antonio Gibson at +1200 for first overall TD scorer and +650 for first Commanders scorer seem like the best option here to me. Though, I will put something on Fields at +1000 for first scorer as well.

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