by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Sep 29, 2026
Game Time: 1:00 pm ET, Sunday, October 4, 2026
Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
Where to Watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Jets +3.5, Bears -3.5; Over/Under: 42.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Jets +3, Bears -3; Over/Under: 43 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Jets +3, Bears -3; Over/Under: 43 points
Season Record
New York Jets: 1-2 (2nd place, AFC East)
Chicago Bears: 2-1 (2nd place, NFC North)
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New York Jets: lost their last game on the road against the Detroit Lions 31-24.
Chicago Bears: won their last game at home against the Philadelphia Eagles 27-7.
New York Jets vs Chicago Bears Preview and Analysis
The Jets are entering this game with a 1-2 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their divisional games too. They are 0-1 in their home games, 1-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They lost their last game against the Detroit Lions 31-24. Geno Smith was the starting QB and he completed 31/37 passes for 321 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Breece Hall led the team in rushing yards with 32. Garrett Wilson led the receivers with 107 receiving yards on 10 receptions and 1 TD. Demario Davis led the defense in that game with 10 solo tackles while Demario Davis and Andre Cisco each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
The Bears are entering this game with a 2-1 record overall and they have a 0-1 record in their divisional games too. They are 1-1 in their home games, 1-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against the Philadelphia Eagles 27-7. Case Keenum was the starting QB and he completed 24/34 passes for 247 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. D'Andre Swift led the team in rushing yards with 84. Kalif Raymond led the receivers with 90 receiving yards on 6 receptions and 1 TD. Dillon Thieneman led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles while Dayo Odeyingbo and Montez Sweat each led the defense in sacks with 1. Dillon Thieneman and T. J. Edwards each came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
Jets vs Bears Prediction
The current betting odds have the Bears listed as a 3.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Bears have looked good in their games this season with their 2-1 record overall which has them right near the top of the NFC North. They haven't looked great on their home field though with their 1-1 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Jets haven't looked great in their games this season with their 1-2 record overall which has them right in the middle of the AFC East. They haven't been a bad road team though with their 1-1 road record this year. The Jets have had a feisty start to their season and look like an improved team from last year. They opened the season with a 23-10 win over the Titans and almost beat the Packers at home right after. They ended up blowing that lead late in the 4th quarter though, losing in OT, and now they are coming off a 31-24 loss to the Lions in their last one. The defense has looked better this season and the offense hasn't been bad with Geno Smith, but they still had a lot of trouble when faced with a better offensive team last week and the offense definitely isn't winning them many games either. Geno Smith has done enough to not look bad in this offense, but that isn't going to win them games down the road. Now they are facing a Bears team who is coming off a 27-7 win over the Eagles in their last one and absolutely embarrassed a good team with their 3rd string QB. Bagent could be the starter for this one now, but the Bears showed on Monday night that the starting QB doesn't matter as this offense can still win games with their strong rushing attack. The defense has also looked a lot better than expected and this Jets offense isn't going to challenge them too much. The best way to place a bet here is on the Bears to cover the spread in this game.
Jets Bears Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Sunday, October 4, 2026 (1:00 pm ET start time) is Bears 24 Jets 13.
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NFL Betting Trends
New York Jets: 2-8 ATS in non-conference games. 2-10 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record. 1-7 ATS vs. good offensive teams - scoring 24 or more points/game. 6-1 OVER as a road underdog of 7 points or less. 8-4 OVER after allowing 30 points or more last game.
Chicago Bears: 13-6 ATS in home games. 9-4 ATS as a favorite. 13-2 ATS after playing a game at home. 8-4 ATS when playing against a team with a losing record. 4-0 OVER when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 25% to 40%).
Key Injuries
New York Jets: M. Fitzpatrick (S) Injured - Groin. K. Nwangwu (RB) Injured - Back. D. Parham (OG) Injured - Knee. J. Ruckert (TE) Injured - Knee. K. Enagbare (DL) Injured - Knee. B. Hall (RB) Injured - Quad. A. Mitchell (WR) Injured - Finger. K. Mauigoa (LB) Injured - Quad. M. Taylor (TE) Injured - Thumb. K. Sadiq (TE) Injured - Back.
Chicago Bears: J. Jackson (OG) Injured - Personal. B. Jones (OG) Injured - Knee. C. Williams (QB) Injured - Hamstring. C. Lewis (CB) Injured - Hip. N. Sewell (LB) Injured - Achilles. S. Turner (DL) Injured - Knee. K. Gordon (CB) Injured - Calf.
Notable Quotes
“We’re fighting to close that gap and we will. We’ll be on the other side of these games. I truly believe that.” - Aaron Glenn after his team’s loss against the Lions in their last game.
“He knows where everyone is supposed to be on every single play and so he is really quick to recognize coverage. He knows why we’re calling the play and what we’re looking for and if we’re not getting that he’s accelerating through it really quickly. That’s what you get when you’re 15-plus years playing that position in this league.” - Ben Johnson after his team’s win against the Eagles in their last game.
Starting Lineups
New York Jets
WR McClain, Malik
WR Wilson, Garrett
WR Williams, Isaiah
TE Sadiq, Kenyon
QB Smith, Geno
RB Allen, Braelon
FB Beck, Andrew
Chicago Bears
WR Odunze, Rome
WR Burden III, Luther
WR Raymond, Kalif
TE Loveland, Colston
QB Bagent, Tyson
RB Swift, D'Andre
Statistical Leaders
New York Jets
Passing: Geno Smith (783)
Rushing: Breece Hall (163)
Receiving: Garrett Wilson (243)
Touchdowns: Garrett Wilson (2)
Chicago Bears
Passing: Caleb Williams (407)
Rushing: D'Andre Swift (253)
Receiving: Kalif Raymond (214)
Touchdowns: D'Andre Swift (3)
Coaches:
New York Jets: Aaron Glenn (2nd season)
Chicago Bears: Ben Johnson (2nd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
