Bears Dolphins Betting – Quick Turnaround For Two Teams This Week
The Chicago Bears will quickly hop on a plane. The Miami Dolphins will play with a third-string quarterback. Two teams will regroup in a hurry as week 11 begins.
NFL Betting: Chicago Bears @ Miami Dolphins
Why To Bet On The Bears
The best thing the Bears and coach Lovie Smith can look forward to is the fact that Miami will have to trot out a third-string quarterback who will have little time to prepare for a planned start on Thursday night, which is when this game will be played. The Dolphins lost their top two signal callers this past Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. First, Chad Pennington – a brittle quarterback re-inserted into the starting lineup by coach Tony Sparano – got injured in the first quarter, before anyone’s seat was warm at Sun Life Stadium. Then, Chad Henne – the regular starting quarterback for most of the season – suffered a knee injury that knocked him out of commission and will leave him unavailable for this game against Chicago.
Thigpen is a third-stringer for a reason. He had a few chances as a game day starter for the Kansas City Chiefs a few seasons ago, but couldn’t hold onto the job. If the Bears thought that getting after old man Brett Favre was fun in week 10, they’ll have another chance to force turnovers against an opposing quarterback in week 11. Since Chicago played the woeful Buffalo Bills and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in week nine, it’s clear that the Bears’ defense is not getting tested by the best of the best in the NFL. This is another great opportunity for a team with offensive limitations to still grind out a close-shave victory on the road and move to 7-3 on the season.
Why To Bet On The Dolphins
The Dolphins, for all their injuries at the quarterback spot, still beat Tennessee, 29-17. Thigpen, for all his deficiencies, completed four of his six passes for 64 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. His quarterback rating against Tennessee was 141.7. Thigpen’s in-game experience against Tennessee will make Miami’s new field general ready to tackle this Thursday-night throwdown against Chicago. Thigpen will walk on the gridiron with confidence, and he will know that his teammates trust him. This is one key part of the recipe for a Dolphin win in this prime-time event.
The other big reason to take Miami is that Chicago has a very short week and must make the long journey down to South Florida. Miami did not play a road game in week 10, so the Thursday kickoff – combined with home-field advantage – gives the Dolphins an edge in terms of stamina and freshness. Scheduling and logistics often have to be taken into consideration when picking NFL games. This is especially true for Thursday games, when teams have two genuine days of rest plus a travel day on Wednesday. Miami should benefit from this dynamic, and the Dolphins should also benefit from the continuously unsteady play of Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler.
How The Game Will Play Out
Tyler Thigpen won’t play all that well, but the Dolphins’ defense will snare multiple turnovers against Jay Cutler. The Bears will be tired after their short week and their extended travel, and that as much as anything will earn the Dolphins a handful of extra points in what is essentially a toss-up. Go with Miami against the worn-down Bears.
Bears Dolphins Betting Pick: Dolphins
