Seattle Seahawks vs. Chicago Bears 2018: Monday Night Football Prediction, Betting Odds For Week 2

No one had a worse season-opening loss than the Chicago Bears. Sure, teams like the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions were embarrassed in Week 1, but those kinds of defeats happen. Chicago looked like they had a road victory against their chief rivals all but wrapped up until Aaron Rodgers did what seemingly only he and maybe Tom Brady could do by leading the Green Bay Packers on a miraculous comeback at Lambeau Field.

Bears fans went from dreaming of competing for an NFC North title to lamenting an all-too-familiar feeling in just a few short hours. First-year head coach Matt Nagy was hailed as being an offensive innovator in the first half and criticized for his poor play calling in the second half. By letting a 20-0 lead slip through their fingers, Chicago is now one loss away from joining the 90 percent of 0-2 NFL teams that fail to make the playoffs.

How will the Bears respond when they are thrust back into the national spotlight just eight days later on “Monday Night Football?”

Chicago will host another team that’s looking for their first win of the 2018 NFL season. The Seattle Seahawks fell to the Denver Broncos last week, failing to capitalize on an opportunity of their own. Seattle lost at Mile High, despite three Case Keenum interceptions and taking an early fourth-quarter lead.

Expectations are lower for Seattle than they have been since Russell Wilson’s rookie season in 2012. The Seahawks lost several key defenders in the offseason—Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril are all gone—and were projected to finish third in the NFC West. Wilson will bear the brunt of the responsibility in trying to give Seattle their seventh consecutive winning season.

The Bears are headed in the opposite direction.

The organization spent plenty of money on players like Allen Robinson and tight end Trey Burton in hopes of improving the offense. Former No.2 overall draft pick Mitchell Trubisky should take a step forward now that he’ll be in his second year as a starting quarterback and playing in a system that will allow him to showcase his talents.

Even in last year’s disappointing 5-11 campaign, Chicago had a respectable defense. Add No.10 overall pick Roquan Smith and 2016 Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack to the linebacking core and the Bears have the talent to be among the five best defensive teams in the NFL. The new additions paid immediate dividends when the Bears shut out Rodgers and the Packers in the first half and appeared to be on their way to an easy win.

Chicago’s first-half lead at Lambeau Field should provide optimism for the Bears’ upcoming schedule, no matter how the game ended. They won’t encounter a two-time MVP at quarterback that’s ripped their hearts out time and time again in Week 2.

Wilson is a terrific quarterback in his own right, though he could be in for a long night at Soldier Field. The Seahawks have one of the league’s worst offensive lines, and he was sacked six times in the season opener. Von Miller had a field day with three sacks of his own. Mack has the potential to put up similar numbers in his first home game as a Bear.

Denver moved the ball fairly easily against the new-look Seattle defense. Chicago’s offense should have enough success to secure the win at home.

Chicago is a three-point favorite, according to the latest betting odds at OddsShark. The over/under is 43.

Prediction: Chicago over Seattle, 24-16