Thanks to what finally appears to be a functional offense, the Chicago Bears are riding a two-game win streak and head overseas as favorites against Jacksonville in Week 6 for their first London game since 2019. This despite Jacksonville having home-field advantage or as close to it as possible. Sunday will be their 12th game in London, and they’ll likely be the crowd favorite coming off their first win of the season.
The confidence in Chicago stems from an increasingly stout-looking defense and a marked uptick in their own offensive pace. The Bears are running the second most no-huddle plays in the league behind Washington, and are third in total plays run. This suits rookie Caleb Williams, who has thrived in the short passing game and adds 20 points to his passer rating when he gets the ball out quickly (under 2.5 seconds) this season. Jacksonville is an extremely soft passing defense and isn’t able to prey on the young QB’s weaknesses.
Williams struggles with intermediate and deep routes and is particularly bad when pressured. But the Jaguars are in the bottom three against those passes, and worst in the league when an opposing quarterback is under duress. Quarterbacks actually have a positive EPA when being pressured by Jacksonville.
Conversely, Chicago’s pass defense is the NFL’s best when it applies pressure and smothers any short or mid-range passing attempts. The Jags have a credible run game with Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby, and the Bears are a run funnel defense, so the early game plan should include plenty of opportunities for both backs. If Jacksonville can establish a rushing threat, it could open up the deep ball, where quarterback Trevor Lawrence is at his best.
All that said, the under has hit in six straight London games. With Chicago’s strong defense and uncertainty in the offenses’ ability to score, that particular streak seems safe.
All odds from BetMGM. Looking for NFL tickets? Find them here.
Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox.
Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox.
Sign Up
Jacksonville Jaguars at Chicago Bears odds
How to watch Jaguars vs. Bears
- Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — London
- Time: 9:30 a.m. ET
- TV: NFL Network
- Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
Expert picks for Jaguars vs. Bears
Read more about NFL Week 6
Odds, expert picks, previews: Drake Maye in, Saleh out and Lamar Jackson vs. Jayden Daniels headline a wild week
NFL playoff projections 2024: The Athletic’s model predicts the field
Best bets Week 6: Commanders cover train keeps rolling
(Photo of Trevor Lawrence: Courtney Culbreath / Getty Images)
