NFL Week 5 Best Bets: Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders Picks for Thursday Night Football
Thursday Night Football is here which means NFL Week 5 officially gets underway tonight. We've got a very interesting matchup for NFL bets as Justin Fields leads the Chicago Bears into our nation's capital to take on Sam Howell, Brian Robinson and the rest of the Washington Commanders. Fields and his squad are seeking redemption after a fairly large collapse last week against the Denver Broncos and everyone wants to know which Bears team we're going to get tonight. Will it be the Bears who showed up for the first half of last week or will it be the hapless bunch who got beaten to a pulp through the first three weeks of the season? On the other side, the Commanders opened the season 2-0 but have dropped their last two against much more formidable opponents in the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles. Excited? You should be. It doesn't matter what you think of either team, it's football baby and we're gonna bet it in style!
NFL Thursday Night Football Best Bets: Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders
The Spread: Commanders -6
For me, this game comes down to the Commanders defense and how it holds up against a Bears offense that, like Stella, seemingly got its groove back last week. Offensively, Sam Howell should be able to lead his offense up and down the field. The Bears defense ranks 31st in DVOA – 31st against the pass and 21st against the run. Brian Robinson has been a stalwart out of the backfield and with so many injuries in the Bears secondary, you figure between Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Jahan Dotson and Logan Thomas, they should be able to put points up on the board. Can the Bears do the same? They're going to have to neutralize the Commanders pass-rush and that will mean more roll-outs and throwing on the run for Fields. If his pass-catchers can find a few holes, then the Bears should at least be able to keep this game close. Maybe not win outright, but close is what we want here. Pick: Bears +6
The Total: 44.5
The over is 2-2 in Commanders games this season but is 4-0 in Bears games and based off each team's offensive potential in this match-up, I am inclined to lean that way as well. Again, it's going to all come down to whether or not the Bears offense can get through the Commanders defense. Chase Young will have Fields on the run throughout the night, but if he can find DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet downfield, he should be able to put up enough points to push this game to the over. It will be close, but a 24-21 game doesn't sound out of the realm of possibility. Pick: Over 44.5
Favorite Thursday Night Football Player Props:
- Sam Howell over 1.5 passing TD (+115)
- Justin Fields over 47.5 rushing yards (-130)
- Cole Kmet under 31.5 receiving yards (-115)
- Roschon Johnson over 1.5 receptions (-135)
- Brian Robinson Anytime TD (-110)
**all odds and lines courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Player News
49ers signed No. 11 pick EDGE Mykel Williams to a four-year contract.
The deal is worth $24.9 million and is fully guaranteed. As is the case with all first-round picks, his contract includes a fifth-year option. The 49ers shed hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts this offseason and the bulk of those savings came on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive end was an obvious position of need and Williams was widely regarded as the best pass-rusher on the board when 49ers GM John Lynch was on the clock. Williams totaled five sacks in 2024 and left Georgia with 14 sacks across three seasons as a starter.
Vikings signed No. 24 pick OG Donovan Jackson to a four-year contract.
It’s a fully guaranteed deal worth $17.2 million with a fifth-year team option. Minnesota taking Jackson with the 24th-overall pick came as a bit of a surprise on draft night, but the Vikings needed offensive line help and Jackson was considered worthy of a first-round pick by some draftniks. He was primarily a left guard at Ohio State but successfully kicked out to tackle for the bulk of his senior season. Jackson is likely fated for guard duties in Minnesota, but the positional versatility remains a plus.
Titans claimed Anfernee Orji off waivers from the Saints.
Orji played primarily on special teams in New Orleans but was credited with two starts across 16 appearances. He totaled 30 combined tackles and a pair of TFLs. Orji will need to continue seeing work on special teams to make the Titans’ roster.
Patriots signed RB Trayveon Williams, formerly of the Bengals.
Henderson was passed on the Cincinnati depth chart by Chase Brown last year and the team even traded for Khalil Herbert midseason. Despite having no role on offense, Williams was active for all 17 games as a special teamer. He will likely hold a similar role in New England if he cracks the team’s 53-man roster.
Free agent RB Jordan Mims worked out for the Patriots.
The Pats also worked out former Bengals running back Trayveon Williams. Mims ran 20 times for 70 yards in 2024 while adding 12 catches for 71 yards through the air. He also got some run on special teams. The Patriots are looking for some extra depth at running back, but there isn’t room for another fantasy-relevant option behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.
Jaguars signed TE Quintin Morris, formerly of the Bills, to a one-year contract.
Morris is purely a blocking tight end. He caught just 15 passes during his three years with the Bills, though he did manage to find the end zone three times. Morris will back up Brenton Strange in Jacksonville.