The Chicago Bears started the 2022 season with a 2-1 record, but then things fell apart and the team finished 3-14. The Week 1 win over San Francisco took place in a maelstrom at Soldier Field and saw 49ers quarterback Trey Lance go down for the season. Two weeks later, the Bears beat the lowly Houston Texans at home, 23-20. Their third win came in Week 7, a 33-14 shocker at New England that showed the upside of the Chicago offense and the potential of quarterback Justin Fields. However, a lack of wide receiving talent and subpar blocking from the O-line meant that the Bears relied too heavily on Fields, making the offense easier to stop. The defense wore down, and the team gave up at least 25 points in their last 11 games of the season – giving up 31 or more points six times in that stretch. Can the offense hold up its end of the bargain in 2023? Let’s look at that side of the ball as you consider your NFL betting choices for the coming season.
NFL Betting News: Chicago Bears 2023 Season Analysis
The wide receiving group in Chicago ranked last in the NFL in catches (121) in 2022. To help with this, the team swapped the top overall pick in the 2023 draft to Carolina for wide receiver D.J. Moore as part of a package. Last year’s leader in receiving yards, Darnell Mooney, only reached 493. Now, the Bears have Moore, Mooney, Chase Claypool, Equanimeous St. Brown and Tyler Scott coming in as a rookie.
Moore played his first five years in the NFL with Carolina, catching 364 balls for 5,201 yards and 21 touchdowns combined. In three straight years (2019-2021) he had at least 1,100 receiving yards; in 2022, his numbers dropped to 888 yards on 63 catches and seven touchdowns, but the Carolina offense was in chaos, with three different quarterbacks all starting five or more contests. Moore quickly developed a connection with Moore in offseason workouts, and Claypool and Mooney will return in training camp. Mooney had an ankle injury end his 2022 season, and Claypool has also missed practice during the off-season due to injury.
What about Justin Fields? The quarterback ran for 1,143 yards in 2022 – the second-highest rushing total for an NFL quarterback in league history – and he scored eight touchdowns on the ground. He threw for 2,242 yards and 17 scores, showing that he had the ability to make plays.
During the offseason, Fields worked on accuracy, particularly on deep balls, as well as his decision-making. Coming back for a second year in the same system, OC Luke Getsy’s scheme, will help with his confidence.
Other additions to the offense included guard Nate Davis, Tight end Robert Tonyan, and tailback D’Onta Foreman in free agency, as well as running back Roschon Johnson and tackle Darnell Wright in the draft.
Another addition, which the Bears hope they don’t need too much, is depth at quarterback as the team signed P.J. Walker to back Fields up. Walker was with Carolina the last three seasons, playing in 15 games while starting in seven, throwing for 1,461 yards and five touchdowns. Five of those starts came in 2022, as Walker threw for 731 yards and posted a 3:3 TD:INT ratio and a 78.0 rating. The other backup is Nathan Peterman, who signed a one-year deal to join the Bears for a second season. He played in three games last year (starting one), going 14 of 25 for 139 yards and a touchdown and an interception.
Overall, the improvements that the Bears have made on offense should make them more competitive. They are in a division that has a lot of opportunity – the Packers finally have a quarterback other than Aaron Rodgers – but also a lot of threats, as Green Bay, Detroit, and Minnesota could all beat Chicago twice again, depending on how the Bears manage ball security and defense.
Bet on the Bears to Win!
2023 Chicago Bears Regular Season Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| All times ET | |||
| 1 | Sep. 10 | vs. Green Bay Packers | 4:25 p.m. |
| 2 | Sep. 17 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 p.m. |
| 3 | Sep. 24 | at Kansas City Chiefs | 4:25 p.m. |
| 4 | Oct. 1 | vs. Denver Broncos | 1 p.m. |
| 5 | Oct. 5 | at Washington Commanders (TNF) | 8:15 p.m. |
| 6 | Oct. 15 | vs. Minnesota Vikings | 1 p.m. |
| 7 | Oct. 22 | vs. Las Vegas Raiders | 1 p.m. |
| 8 | Oct. 29 | at Los Angeles Chargers | 8:20 p.m. |
| 9 | Nov. 5 | at New Orleans Saints | 1 p.m. |
| 10 | Nov. 9 | vs. Carolina Panthers (TNF) | 8:20 p.m. |
| 11 | Nov. 19 | at Detroit Lions | 1 p.m. |
| 12 | Nov. 27 | at Minnesota Vikings (MNF) | 8:15 p.m. |
| 13 | Dec. 3 | BYE WEEK | |
| 14 | Dec. 10 | vs. Detroit Lions | 1 p.m. |
| 15 | Dec. 17 | at Cleveland Browns | TBD |
| 16 | Dec. 24 | vs. Arizona Cardinals | 4:25 p.m. |
| 17 | Dec. 31 | vs. Atlanta Falcons | 1 p.m. |
| 18 | Jan. 6 or 7 | at Green Bay Packers | TBD |
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Love betting NFL football? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date NFL lines for Regular Season | Take advantage this 2023 NFL Season betting on your favorite Team to Win it All! Check out the NFL analysis of the next Teams: Indianapolis Colts | Cleveland Browns | Cincinnati Bengals | Detroit Lions | Atlanta Falcons | San Francisco 49ers | Washington Commanders | Chicago Bears
