Docs Website

54 Years Strong! A Trusted Leader In Sports Picks, Best Bets and Predictions Since 1971.

Main Menu

Thursday Night Football Picks: New England Patriots vs Chicago Bears Best Bets

by Ryan Cobbett - 10/19/2026

Thursday Night Football picks New England Patriots vs Chicago Bears Drake Maye

This week’s Thursday Night Football matchup showcases two of the strongest teams in the league this season as the 4-2 New England Patriots travel to Chicago to take on the 4-2 Bears. Both teams are bringing a lot of momentum into this game, but only one of them will stay in the win column. The Patriots have won their last three games, including sweeping their two-game home stand against with victories over the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Jets. The Bears rebounded after their abysmal performance against the Green Bay Packers, taking down the Atlanta Falcons 31-23 in Atlanta. Caleb Williams returned to the field and made his impact felt in this one. The big storyline to follow is the health of the New England offensive line. They had three linemen leave the game against the Jets, and they are showing up on the injury report for this week. On a short week, that can greatly impact this game.

Doc’s Sports offers NFL expert picks for every game on our NFL predictions page.

Thursday Night Football New England Patriots vs Chicago Bears Game Odds:

New England Patriots: +2.5 / Moneyline: +130

Chicago Bears: -2.5/ Moneyline: -155

Over/Under: 49.5

Thursday Night Football New England Patriots Game Preview

The Patriots have won three straight games and have accumulated a +38-point differential across those three contests. They are, however, just 1-2 on the road this season, and they have a mere -29-point differential in those games. In their last game against the Jets, the Patriots came out swinging as they scored 17 points in the first half. They didn’t score again until the fourth quarter, but they were able to hold off the Jets comeback bid. New England’s defense looked solid as they held the Jets to just 324 total yards, let them convert just 30% of their third down tries, and didn’t allow a redzone score. Charles Woods picked off Geno Smith, and the Patriots sacked Smith three times. Drake Maye limited the turnovers in this one, throwing for 235 yards and three touchdowns. Overall, the offense ranks seventh in the NFL with 374.2 YPG, though they are averaging just 22.7 PPG. Defensively, they rank sixth in the NFL allowing just 300.8 YPG, and they have limited opponents to just 18.8 PPG thus far.

If the Patriots want to stay hot and pick up the road win, they will need that offensive line to heal. Morgan Moses, Alijah Vera-Tucker, and Garrett Brown all left the game against the Jets, and Will Campbell isn’t 100% either. The Bears are tied for fifth place in the league with 17 sacks. While the Patriots didn’t allow a sack against the Jets, despite the injuries, they will need to dig in deeper against the better pass rush of the Bears. New England will also need to step up against the run game. The return of Williams showed us just how efficient the Bears offense runs. The Patriots need to shut down the run game and make the offense one dimensional. New England is allowing just over 91 rushing YPG so far, but they are set to face a very talented backfield, and they will need to be ready.

New England Patriots 3 Keys to Victory

  1. Shut Down the Run
  2. Get Healthy in the Trenches
  3. Limit the Turnovers

New England Patriots Injuries

OT Morgan Moses – Questionable

C Ben Brown – Questionable

G Alijah Vera-Tucker – Questionable

WR Romeo Doubs – Questionable

Thursday Night Football Chicago Bears Game Preview

The Bears also head into this week’s game with a 4-2 record. They managed to remain steady even with the extended absence of Caleb Williams. They went 2-1 in his absence, and the Bears picked up the much-needed road win over the Falcons in his return. Willims completed 30 of his 36 passes for 305 yards, and he recorded a passing touchdown. The Bears defense showed up in this one. They held the Falcons to just 257 yards of offense, and limited Bijan Robinson to just 61 yards. The Bears forced three fumbles, and they totaled over 40 minutes of possession, but they did lose the penalty matchup, as they totaled 133 penalty yards across 12 penalties. Otherwise, this was a solid victory for Chicago. Overall, the Bears offense ranks fifth in the NFL in YPG (388.3) and 12th in PPG (25). Defensively, they rank seventh in the league in allowed YPG (302.3) and sixth in PPG (19.8).

In order to win back-to-back games, Chicago is going to need the run game to get established and open up the game for Williams. The Patriots secondary is strong, but if the Bears can get D’Andre Swift and company going on the ground, the Bears will be able to do whatever they want offensively. The offense cannot continuously rely on Williams having as efficient of a performance he had last week, week in and week out. This is why the run game becomes an important factor in this one. Another big factor here would be to make Maye uncomfortable and force him into bad decisions. If the Bears can take advantage of the shaky Patriots offensive line by keeping consistent pressure on Maye, he will eventually beat himself and turn the ball over.

Chicago Bears 3 Keys to Victory

  1. Avoid Over Relying on Caleb Williams
  2. Let D’Andre Swift Cook
  3. Attack Maye All Game

Chicago Bears Injuries

S Anthony Johnson Jr. – IR

G Jonah Jackson – Questionable

DE Dayo Odeyingbo - IR

Thursday Night Football Game Predictions

This matchup might be one of the best Thursday Night Games we get all season. New England is hot, and Maye has limited the turnovers, but the Bears pass rush mixed with potential injury concerns along the offensive line makes this one interesting. If the Bears can disrupt Maye and make him uncomfortable, this game could get ugly. While it will be hard for Williams to remain as efficient as he was against the Falcons, there is too much going against the Patriots in this one. Take the Bears to cover (-2.5). Expect the ground game to be a factor as the Bears look to control possession time like they did last week and keep the ball out of Maye’s hands.

My Pick: Chicago Bears, -2.5 / Under 49.5

Get NFL picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.

 

Most Recent Thursday Night Football Picks

One E-mail A Week Is All You Need!
Our weekly newsletter is loaded with exclusive free picks,insight and advice from our expert handicappers