Buffalo Bills at Chicago Bears NFL Week 16 Preview with Betting Odds

Buffalo clinched a playoff berth for the fourth consecutive season last week, and look to further solidify their spot atop the AFC standings. While the NFL doesn’t always get to celebrate Christmas with football, this year they do. The league’s Week 16 schedule features most of its games shifting to Saturday, Christmas Eve, which is the case for this one. The Bills find themselves more than a touchdown favorite over the Bears in the betting odds for this Week 16 tilt. 

The Buffalo Bills (11-3, 6-7-1 ATS) enter this Week 16 matchup with the Chicago Bears (3-11, 5-8-1 ATS) having locked in their postseason berth. Buffalo rallied to snag a 32-29 victory over the Miami Dolphins last week, thanks to some Josh Allen heroics and a 25-yard Tyler Bass field goal as time expired. 

The Bills travel to Chicago to face a Bears squad in the midst of a seven-game losing skid. Chicago’s Justin Fields became only the third quarterback in league history to reach 1,000 rushing yards in a single season, but he’s been the lone bright spot in a dismal campaign for Chicago. 

Here’s a look at the best betting odds for this matchup between the Bills and Bears in Solider Field this Saturday.

The opening lines for this contest set the Bills and clear favorites over the Bears in the betting odds. That’s no surprise considering the state of these teams heading into the final few weeks of the season. 

The point total for this contest opened in the middle of the pack for Week 16 games. While it started as high as 42 points at some sportsbooks, the expected weather conditions have pushed the total down to as low as 40. 

The Bills scored a rousing come-from-behind victory over Miami last week, but there were some troubling signs for Buffalo’s defense. Buffalo surrendered up their most rushing yards over expected in a game this season (plus-68), as the Dolphins rolled up 188 rushing yards. Miami’s 11.2 yards per carry on outside rushes last week was the most against the Bills under Sean McDermott. 

If not corrected, this could be an issue against the league’s top rushing attack in Chicago. The Bears average a league-leading 186.9 rushing yards per game and could have Khalil Herbert back in the lineup on Saturday. 

Buffalo remains one of the best teams in the league, but needs to keep winning to secure the AFC’s top seed in the playoffs. The Bills rank fourth in scoring (27.5 PPG) and second in scoring defense (17.9 PPG). During their current five-game winning streak, Buffalo’s enjoyed an average 7.3-point scoring margin. Chicago, meanwhile, has lost five straight home games and has surrendered 29.8 points-per-game over the last four at Soldier Field.

It’s expected to be incredibly cold in Chicago on Christmas Eve, thanks to the blizzard rolling through the area on Friday. 

Several betting trends affect this matchup between the Bills and Bears in Chicago on Saturday. These two teams are headed in opposite directions, as Buffalo’s won five in a row outright and the Bears have lost seven straight. While these teams don’t meet regularly, the favorite holds a 3-1-1 advantage against the spread in the last five matchups. 

The Bills enter just 2-6 against the spread in their last eight games. However, Buffalo does have a 11-3-2 mark against the spread in its last 16 games versus teams with a losing record. Chicago enters just 9-19 against the spread in its last 28 games versus teams with winning records. The Bears are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games overall. 

The Under has hit in each of Buffalo’s last seven road games. And in nine of their last 12 games overall. The Over has hit in seven of Chicago’s last eight games, but considering the weather and the Bills’ defense, it seems unlikely. The Under is 23-11 in the Bears’ last 34 home games.