Dolphins vs. Bears Odds, Spread, Preview: NFL Week 9 Predictions

Dolphins vs. Bears NFL week 9 odds, preview and current betting lines

The Bears might be in front of their own fans for this game but there will be a big part of them – both the players and the supporters – who aren’t feeling totally confident about taking to the field. Chicago was full of misery last week as the Bears were, not humiliated but certainly, humbled by the Cowboys are Dak Prescott and Tony Pollard took them to pieces. Fast forward to this weekend and their test is going to be how they handle another hot set of offensive players.

The Dolphins arrive here riding a new wave of optimism after the last couple of weeks. They’d let their grip on second place in their division slip but results elsewhere have gone their way and they’ve done the most important thing – started winning again. In Tua Tagovailoa, they’ve got one of the hottest QBs in the league right now whilst the weapons he can hit are a real concern. Tyreek Hill on his own is a handful but bring Jalen Waddle into the mix as well and the Bears will have to bring their A game.

It’s not all negatives around the Bears though. Firstly, if you park last week, their defense hasn’t been all that bad this year. It’s their offensive game that could make things interesting though. They’ll be bringing a strong rush game here with Khalil Herbert and Justin Fields a couple of players the Dolphins will need to watch closely.

Players to watch in the Dolphins vs. Bears game

Miami Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa: It almost gets tiring writing about Tua Tagovailoa but if anything proves how vital he is to this Dolphins side it’s the dip they experienced when he was sidelined after that concussion injury. Prior to that, they were purring and looking good value to not only take second spot in the AFC East but to push the Bills too. Pushing the Bills is long gone but with Tagovailoa coming back in these last couple of weeks, Miami are alive again.

Chicago Bears

Justin Fields: A lot has been made of just how poor the Bears were against the Cowboys last week but, actually, Justin Fields performed well and his display has flown under the radar somewhat. He threw two touchdowns, rushed for another and rated at 120 as he turned in what is probably the best display of the season to date. His dual-threat in this game could be huge.

Our NFL bet of the week for the Dolphins vs. Bears match

Right, with the preview over let’s move on to our predictions, after all, that’s the main reason you’re here.

Dolphins vs. Bears Spread betting: Dolphins -4 @ -115

Right, we kick off our tips for this Dolphins vs Bears game by backing the Dolphins to come out on top and we expect them to do so with a bit of room to spare hence we’ve thrown in a -4 spread. The Bears were all at sea last week as they fell to a 20 point deficit to the Cowboys and, more importantly, that was their fourth defeat in just five games. Of those four losses, the three most recent of them have all been lost by at least five points. By stark contrast, the Dolphins have found some form across the last two weeks; they beat the Lions 31-27 last week and the week prior they beat the Steelers by six points. Those runs of form offset against one another don’t make great reading for the hosts.

Dolphins vs. Bears odds: Over 265.5 passing yards @ -114

Tua Tagovailoa coming back into the fold has been a game changer for the the Dolphins to the point where you wonder just where they’d be had they not lost him for that period. Back on topic of his passing yards, we are backing over 265.5 yards. Tagovailoa has managed to break or get very close to that threshold in both games since returning to fitness. The Bears, admittedly, haven’t allowed that many against them in a while but Dak Prescott showcased some of their vulnerability last time out as he threw 250 against them. Considering that Tua has been trending at a higher level than Prescott, him finding another 15 yards of passes doesn’t feel remotely impossible.