# Thursday Night Football: Patriots vs. Bears Predictions > Bet Patriots vs. Bears at Prime Sportsbook. Get TNF predictions, odds, best bets, player props and key Week 7 matchup insights. Published 2026-10-21 · By [Phil Simon](https://www.primesportsbook.com/author/philsimon/) An intriguing interconference matchup takes place in the Week 7 **NFL Thursday Night Football game** when the surging New England Patriots visit the Chicago Bears. Both teams moved to 4-2 with wins on Sunday with the Pats getting their third straight triumph. The Bears welcomed back Caleb Williams and had an offensive outburst beating Atlanta 31-23. Early [**NFL betting lines**](https://www.primesportsbook.com/sports/football/nfl/) have the Bears positioned as a 3-point favorite. ## **NFL Thursday Night Football This Week** **NFL Thursday Night Football this week** features the No. 1 and No. 3 overall picks from the 2024 NFL draft going head to head for the second time. The Bears took Caleb Williams with the top pick with Drake Maye taken third overall. The two faced each other as rookies with Maye and the Pats winning 19-3 at Soldier Field. The point total matches the fewest scored by the Bears in a game Williams started. The total hit the board at 50, one of the highest for the week. ### **Thursday Night NFL Football Game Preview** - An interconference NFL clash between teams with identical 4-2 records takes place on NFL Thursday Night Football on October 22, 2026. - Kickoff is slated for 8:15 p.m. ET with the game broadcast on Amazon Prime Video. - The game takes place at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL where the Bears have wins and payouts in their last two games. ### **Key Storylines for This Week’s Matchup** - This is the second meeting between top picks from the 2024 NFL Draft. Taken third overall, Drake Maye has enjoyed more team success than the first overall pick Caleb Williams. The Patriots advanced to the Super Bowl last season while Williams and the Bears lost in the Divisional Round. - Williams returned from injury last week throwing for 305 yards and a touchdown in a 31-23 win over Atlanta. He had been out with an injury since Week 2 and will have to respond on a short week to play a **NFL Thursday Night Football game**. - New England boasts one of the top defenses in the NFL and the group will be tested by Chicago’s diverse attack. The Bears are hoping to have Kyle Monangai back after he missed the Atlanta game with an injury. ## **Who Plays Thursday Night Football NFL?** The Bears are playing their first home game since the passing of franchise legend Mike Ditka on **NFL Thursday Night Football this week**, and fittingly the game is against New England. The teams have met 16 times with the lone playoff matchup in Super Bowl XX at the end of the 1985 season. With Ditka as coach the Bears won their only Super Bowl title crushing the Pats 46-10 with that team recognized as one of the best in NFL history. ### **Team Matchup** - The Pats got past the Jets on Sunday but lost three offensive linemen to injury in the game. That could be a significant development for the Week 7 **Thursday night NFL football game** on a short week against an aggressive Bears defensive front. - In spite of their inability to hold onto the football the Patriots are sporting a 4-2 record. They lost two fumbles on Sunday and are one of the most turnover prone teams in the NFL with 13 giveaways and a minus-6 turnover differential in six games. - Chicago has one of the best running games in the NFL and will look to control the game against a New England defense that’s allowed just one team to surpass 100 rushing yards. The Pats were walloped by Jacksonville in Week 35-6 allowing 137 yards on the ground. ### **Current Records and Recent Form** - New England won its third straight game beating the Jets 26-19 on Sunday moving to 4-2. The Pats failed to cover the 7.5-point spread falling to 4-2 against the [**NFL betting odds**](https://www.primesportsbook.com/sports/football/nfl/). They did cash the OVER for a third consecutive game. - With Caleb Williams back in the lineup the Bears beat Atlanta 32-23 scoring their most points since the season-opening win over Carolina. The Bears are 4-2 ATS and all three home games have gone UNDER the closing total. ## **Where Can I Watch Thursday Night NFL Football?** The Week 7 **NFL Thursday Night Football game** between the Patriots and Bears will air exclusively on Amazon Prime Video as part of the streaming platform’s contract with the NFL. Amazon Prime will broadcast every game that falls under the NFL Thursday Night Football umbrella. ### **TV and Streaming Information** - The Thursday night NFL football game will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. - If your local market team is playing on **NFL Thursday Night Football** the game will be broadcast on a local over-the-air television station in that team’s market. - Starting in Week 2 every game under the Thursday Night Football umbrella will be broadcast directly through the Prime Video app. ### **Thursday Night Football Start Time** - Every game during the regular season under the NFL Thursday Night Football umbrella will have a start time of 5:15 p.m. PT / 8:15 p.m. ET. ## **NFL Thursday Night Football Odds and Best Bets** **NFL Thursday Night Football odds** for the Week 7 matchup have the Bears getting the standard field goal for playing at home. The spread signifies a close matchup between teams with identical 4-2 records. The return of Caleb Williams and Chicago’s outburst last week moved the total to 50.5 points. ### **Moneyline Odds** - New England Patriots +135 - Chicago Bears -152 ### **Point Spread** - New England Patriots +3 (-115) - Chicago Bears -3 (-105) ### **Game Total** - Over 50.5 (-108) - Under 50.5 (-108) ## **NFL Thursday Night Football Predictions** Analyst **NFL Thursday Night Football predictions** favor a close, low-scoring game between teams that each allows fewer than 20 points per contest. Limited preparation time historically slows down offenses and experts strongly favor the UNDER on a game total approaching 50 points. ### **Matchup Prediction** - Going into a short week down three offensive linemen isn’t an ideal situation for the Pats. Three starters exited the Jets game and didn’t return leaving their status in question. It’s up to Chicago’s defensive front to create pressure and force the Pats into mistakes. - Whichever team wins the turnover battle has the advantage. The Pats have at least one turnover in every game and are among the most prone to giveaways with 13. The Bears forced three turnovers last week and have multiple takeaways in three games. - It’s only Week 7 but this game is important for both teams as they look to separate themselves from the pack in their respective conferences. ### **Score Prediction** - Potentially being down three offensive linemen will make putting scoring drives together more difficult for the Pats while leading to mistakes that will keep the game UNDER the total of 49.5 points. - Having Caleb Williams back behind center leading a balanced attack will allow the Bears to produce more offensively as the **NFL Thursday Night Football predictions** winner, 24-18. ### **Betting Prediction** - Early market consensus favors the Bears to win the game and cover the spread against New England’s patched up offensive line. - With the same record and similar stats across the board, analysts view this as a highly competitive game where homefield advantage makes the difference for the Bears as a **NFL Thursday Night Football best bet**. ## **NFL Thursday Night Football Bets to Consider** The top **NFL Thursday Night Football bets** to consider for the Week 7 contest between New England and Chicago is backing the UNDER on what many experts view as a high total. Both defenses have been good allowing fewer than 20 points a game and the Pats are looking for help along the offensive line. ### **Best Spread Bet** - Backing the points on the tight field goal spread seems like the smart pick. However, with New England facing an offensive line crisis I can’t see them doing enough to cover the NFL betting line which is why the Bears are the **NFL Thursday Night Football predictions** best spread bet. ### **Best Total Bet** - The total of 49.5 is a reaction to what the Bears did on Sunday with Caleb Williams back in the lineup and many experts view the number as being too high. - Both defenses are strong allowing an average of fewer than 20 points per game putting the UNDER in a good spot. ### **Best Moneyline Bet** - With plenty of momentum and a three-game winning streak, the Patriots are a tempting plus-money underdog on the moneyline. - A banged-up offensive line makes Drake Maye a risky proposition and lowers New England’s ceiling against an aggressive Bears defense making Chicago the best **NFL Thursday Night Football bet** on the moneyline. ## **NFL Thursday Night Football Player Props** **NFL Thursday Night Football player props** for the Week 7 game between the Patriots and Bears centers around a highly anticipated quarterback battle between 2024’s No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams and No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye. Since lines on player props fluctuate early in the short week, reviewing recent workloads and game plans give the best betting angles. ### **Quarterback Props** - Facing a dilemma on the line, Drake Maye will look to avoid pressure with short passes limiting his downfield passing yardage totals. - The Bears average the most offensive plays per game meaning more volume for Caleb Williams in his passing OVER bets. ### **Running Back Props** - In an attempt to keep the Bears offense off the field the Pats will run the football judiciously giving opportunities to Rhamondre Stevenson and Corey Kiner, who has been used much more in the last two games. - With three TDs in the last two games, D’Andre Swift is the go-to guy for the Bears near the goal line making him a strong candidate as an anytime touchdown scorer. ### **Receiver Props** - A.J. Brown was inefficient in his return from injury with just three receptions, but he was heavily targeted and will be again as the ace of New England’s receiving group. - Colston Loveland has become an integral part of Chicago’s passing game with 18 catches in the last four games. A big body with good hands he’s a reliable target for Caleb Williams giving him the opportunity to go OVER his receptions total. ## **Key Factors for Thursday Night NFL Football Game Predictions** Evaluating **NFL Thursday Night Football this week** requires weighing critical game-day factors. The Patriots and Bears enter with the same 4-2 record and are similarly aligned in several statistical categories. Worth noting, however, is New England’s depleted offensive line that lost three starters to injury in Sunday’s game against the Jets. ### **Short Week Rest and Injuries** - **NFL Thursday Night Football games** inherently limit preparation time and make it more difficult for the road team due to travel constraints. - Historically, home teams with a strong defense cover tight, field goal spreads in short-week games. - Injuries are a part of the game, but losing three offensive linemen in one week is a problem most teams can’t overcome. Ben Brown, Morgan Moses, and Alijah Vera-Tucker all exited and didn’t return to Sunday’s contest. ### **Home-Field Advantage** - Playing on the road on **NFL Thursday Night Football** inherently penalizes visiting teams and New England will possibly play without three key offensive linemen. - Historically home teams win between 55 and 57 percent of short week games mainly due to more preparation time. - The Bears are 2-1 SU and ATS at home this season giving up an average of less than 10 points per game while playing UNDER the total in all three. ### **Matchup Trends** - Short rest for a **Thursday night NFL football game** tends to favor defenses, though the total of 49.5 is among the highest on the Week 7 board. - Drake Maye’s passer rating drops significantly when pressured on the road and the Pats could potentially be without three key offensive linemen for this game. - Games featuring top 12 teams in average offensive plays per game in the last two seasons have hit the OVER 64 percent of the time. The Bears are first in pace while the Pats are 11th. ## **NFL Thursday Night Football Betting Trends** **NFL Thursday Night Football** betting trends offer distinct historical patterns due to the game’s unique short-week setup that leaves teams less time to prepare. Understanding these trends and identifying specific team trends for the game between New England and Chicago can help bettors spot value in certain betting lines. ### **Against the Spread Trends** - The betting underdog has won outright in each of the last four **NFL Thursday Night Football games**. Denver beat Seattle last week as a 2.5-point home dog. - Historically short weeks serve as an equalizer, stymieing offensive output and changing traditional home/road advantages. - Each of the last three Thursday Night Football matchups were decided by a single score with a field goal separating the teams in two of those matchups. ### **Over/Under Trends** - Games on short rest feature higher scoring volatility and totals tend to trend toward the UNDER as the season progresses. - Oddsmakers adapt to the short week under factor which creates high-variance lines early in the season. ### **Head-to-Head Trends** - The teams last met in 2024 with the Patriots winning 19-3 in a game that featured just one TD, a Drake Maye passing score. - The Bears managed just 142 total yards in that game with Caleb Williams throwing for 120 yards. - New England has won six of the last seven meetings going 5-2 against the [**NFL betting line**](https://www.primesportsbook.com/sports/football/nfl/) in those games. ## FAQ ### Who plays Thursday Night Football NFL? The Week 7 NFL Thursday Night Football game features a matchup between the first two QBs taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. Caleb Williams (first overall) and the Chicago Bears host Drake Maye (third overall) and the New England Patriots. ### Where can I watch Thursday Night NFL Football? Starting in Week 2 all Thursday Night Football contests will air under the Amazon Prime package. If your local market team is playing on NFL Thursday Night Football the game will be broadcast on a local over-the-air television station in that team’s market. ### What are the best NFL Thursday Night Football bets? The best NFL Thursday Night Football bets for the Week 7 game include backing the Bears at home to cover the 3-point spread and the UNDER 49.5 points. New England’s depleted offensive line will make it difficult for them to score enough points. ### Where can I find NFL Thursday Night Football predictions? You can find NFL Thursday Night Football predictions on major sports analysis and betting websites. Sports news hubs like NFL.com, CBS Sports and ESPN provide expert breakdowns and picks every week. ### Are NFL Thursday Night Football player props available? Yes, NFL Thursday Night Football player props are widely available across major sportsbooks and betting exchanges. As a standalone primetime game that typically starts the betting week, the player prop menu can be extensive for NFL Thursday Night Football bets. Source: https://www.primesportsbook.com/gaming-insider/thursday-night-football-patriots-vs-bears-predictions/