Two young quarterbacks who have visions of spending the next decade or more as the face of a franchise will meet when the Miami Dolphins head to Soldier Field to play the Chicago Bears on Saturday. The Dolphins bring Tua Tagovailoa, now in his second season out of Alabama. Tagovailoa returned from a hip injury and took some lumps in his first season with the Dolphins. However, he did emerge as a solid rhythm passer who can hit receivers in stride, while his running speed and his arm down the field posed some questions. The Bears come with Justin Fields, the scintillating rookie out of Ohio State, whose athleticism, arm strength and toughness were instrumental in the Buckeyes’ demolition of Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal a year ago.
Let’s take a look at your best online NFL betting decisions for this preseason opener for both teams.
NFL Preview: Miami Dolphins at Chicago Bears
When: Saturday, August 14, 2021, 1:00 PM ET
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago
TV: NFL Network
Radio: WQAM 560 AM Miami / WBBM 780 AM Chicago
Live Stream: FuboTV
NFL Odds: Miami +3.5 / O/U 35 ½
Why should you bet on the Dolphins?
The Miami coaching staff is very excited about Tagovailoa’s growth going into his second year, particularly his expert grasp of the team’s playbook. Chicago’s secondary has some issues, so Tagovailoa could put up some big numbers during his time on the field. Because of his need for more reps in live play, Tagovailoa could play into the second quarter.
Miami addressed a need in the area of pass rush by drafting Jaelan Phillips in the second round. With the Miami Hurricanes last year, Phillips had eight sacks and 15 tackles for loss in ten games. The edge rusher should be ready for action given the shuffling taking place in the Chicago O-line.
Another area of need for Miami was speed in the wide receiving corps, and the Dolphins added Will Fuller V, Jakeem Grant and Jaylen Waddle, all of whom can burn cornerbacks down the sideline. Mike Gesicki and Preston Williams were already on the roster, so Tagovailoa will have plenty of targets down the field, so as long as he can find them and deliver the ball, the Dolphins should be fine.
Why should you put your money on the Bears?
Justin Fields is set to start the 2021 season on the bench, while journeyman Andy Dalton leads the offense and Fields negotiates the NFL learning curve. However, if Fields can impress coaches with his poise and performance in preseason games, Dalton’s time as the starter could dwindle significantly.
The Bears’ O-line was a focus in the 2021 draft, as Chicago picked Teven Jenkins in the second round. Jenkins should slot in as the starter at left tackle, but he already has suffered an injury that could leave him on the shelf for the whole game, and now the depth of the Bears’ line will enter the spotlight. Larry Borom, picked in the fifth round this year, is expected to get a lot of plays, and if he can hold his own, he will gain some credibility toward a starting slot.
The Bears have a new defensive coordinator in Sean Desai. He comes out of Vic Fangio’s system in Denver, and several of Fangio’s tendencies could emerge in the Chicago system. The Bears have plenty of talent on defense and could use a fresh approach as they look to compete in a tough NFC North.
Final Score and Betting Prediction
Saturday’s first preseason game of the day could well be the most exciting, given the two young quarterbacks on the field — and given the aggressive style that both defenses are likely to employ. I like Miami to prevail, just given the year’s edge that Tagovaila has on Fields in negotiating NFL pass defenses.
NFL Betting Odds
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