‘Monday Night Football’ Week 7 expert picks: Bears at Patriots

The NFL closes out Week 7 with a “Monday Night Football” game featuring the Chicago Bears traveling to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots.

Zappe-mania could be put on hold as the Patriots starting quarterback Mac Jones is expected to return to the lineup tonight. Zappe led them to two consecutive wins and if Jones struggles, it’ll be interesting to see if there ends up being a quarterback controversy in New England. Things won’t be easy either, as the Bears passing defense currently has more interceptions (5) than passing touchdowns allowed (4). Regardless of who starts under center, this might be a week where running back Rhamondre Stevenson gets a heavier workload.

Speaking of running the football, the Bears will likely lean on that approach, deploying a running back duo and a mobile quarterback in Justin Fields. They’ll need to find success on the ground because the passing game has not been working, mostly because the offensive line is allowing pressure on over 40 percent (!) of passing plays. That’s simply ridiculous.

The good folks over at DraftKings Sportsbook are favoring the Patriots by more than a touchdown, and the POD staff agrees, as everyone likes the Patriots to win the game outright, with most liking them to cover as well.

Here is who our staff is picking for Monday’s nights game:

Here’s how to watch tonight’s “Monday Night Football” game

Date: Monday, October 24, 2022
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Gillette Stadium
TV: ABC/ESPN/ESPN2
Announcers:
- ESPN/ABC: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Lisa Salters (field reporter)
- ESPN2: Manning Cast, featuring Peyton and Eli Manning with special guests
Online Stream/Replay: ESPN+, ESPN APP, NFL+ Premium

Enjoy the games and come chat with us in the comments.