Week 8 preview: Seahawks vs Bears, prediction, odds and injury report
Our pick: Seattle 23, Chicago 20. Why. Not advice.
Seattle is 4-3 after beating unbeaten Kansas City 20-3 on Sunday night, with a defense that allowed one field goal and 213 yards and an offense that converted 11 of 16 third downs. Chicago is 5-2 and has won two straight since Caleb Williams came back from his hamstring injury, 31-23 at Atlanta and 30-24 at home against New England on Thursday, October 22. This is the first look, written the morning after the Chiefs game. Kickoff is Monday, November 2, at 5:15 p.m. Pacific on ESPN at Lumen Field. We will update it with the practice reports from Thursday and the line through the week.
The injury picture
No report is due until Thursday, October 29; for a Monday game the practice reports come Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and the game statuses on Saturday, October 31. The day-by-day table goes on the injury report as each club posts.
Seattle. Three players did not finish the Chiefs game, per the club: receiver Rashid Shaheed (knee), who did not play in the second half, running back Velus Jones Jr. (hamstring), and left tackle Charles Cross (ankle), hurt in the fourth quarter. On Monday, on Seattle Sports 710 AM, Mike Macdonald said of Shaheed: “Rashid, early returns are positive. Any time the knee’s involved, you’re holding your breath, so right now, let’s just say it’s positive.” The club reports the team is still waiting on imaging of Cross’s ankle, so there is no update on him yet. Quarterback Drew Lock (elbow) was inactive and dressed as the emergency third quarterback; Macdonald: “Not sure on the severity or how long it’s going to be.” Anthony Bradford played right guard in his return from injured reserve and “got through the game well,” Macdonald said. Running back Zach Charbonnet and linebackers Drake Thomas, Chazz Surratt and Connor O’Toole were inactive against Kansas City. Charbonnet will practice in full this week, and whether he makes his 2026 debut is not decided: “He’s still going to practice in a full capacity, then we’ll evaluate as the week goes on and go from there,” Macdonald said. Rookie running back Jadarian Price, eligible to come off injured reserve, will return to practice this week; “game status and all that, we don’t know yet,” Macdonald said (club report). Tight end Elijah Arroyo (shoulder) is on injured reserve.
Chicago. The Bears placed tight end Cole Kmet on injured reserve on October 23, per the club. Williams, who hurt his right hamstring against Minnesota in Week 2 and missed the next three games, has started the last two. Chicago’s first report for this game is also due Thursday.
What the Bears have done
Chicago won 59-37 at Carolina in Week 1, lost 9-3 at home to Minnesota, beat Philadelphia 27-7 and the Jets 23-12 at home without Williams, lost 31-7 at Green Bay, then won at Atlanta and against New England. That is 180 points scored and 143 allowed, per ESPN’s game data. Since his return Williams has completed 52 of 69 passes for 613 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, though he was sacked seven times in the two games. Rookie receiver Luther Burden III caught eight passes for 95 yards at Atlanta and four for 130 and a touchdown against New England, and tight end Colston Loveland has 13 catches and two touchdowns in the two games. D’Andre Swift ran for two touchdowns at Atlanta and one against New England.
The turnovers have swung with the quarterback. Chicago gave the ball away five times in the loss at Green Bay, with Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent sharing the job, and has given it away 11 times in seven games against 10 takeaways. With Williams back it had one giveaway in two games.
The matchups that decide it
Seattle’s defense against Williams. Seattle has allowed 125 points in seven games, 17.9 a game, and just held Patrick Mahomes to 165 passing yards and no touchdowns. Williams has thrown for more than 300 yards in each of his two games back. Something gives.
Seattle’s protection, again. Darnold was sacked ten times in the losses to San Francisco and Denver and not once against Kansas City. Chicago has 19 sacks in seven games, five of them at Atlanta. If Cross misses time, the protection story starts over.
The red zone. Seattle was 0 for 3 inside the 20 against Kansas City, with two short field goals and an interception in the end zone. Macdonald named it as one of the things still to fix. Against an offense that has scored 30 or more in both games since Williams came back, field goals may not be enough.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Nine catches for 150 yards and a touchdown against Kansas City, his sixth 100-yard game in seven, and the league lead in touchdown catches with eight, per the club.
The line
As of Monday, October 26, at 6:46 a.m. Pacific, DraftKings has Seattle by 3, total 46.5, moneyline Seattle -170 and Chicago +142, per ESPN’s game data. VegasInsider’s consensus at 6:38 a.m. was also Seattle -3 and 46.5; BetMGM, DraftKings, Caesars and FanDuel have Seattle -3, and Bet365, Hard Rock and Fanatics -3.5. It opened Seattle -4.5 with a total of 47.5. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Seattle a 55.3 percent chance. The week’s injury reports can still move it, and the Seahawks odds page has Seattle’s record against the number: 2-3-2 against the spread through seven games, with four of seven under the total.
Washington allows sports betting only in person at tribal casinos, and there is no legal online sportsbook in the state. We carry no sportsbook advertising, and the numbers are here because fans ask, not as advice.
Prediction
Seattle 23, Chicago 20. Seattle’s defense has held five of seven opponents to 23 points or fewer and is coming off its best game of the season, at home, on a Monday night. Chicago’s offense has scored 31 and 30 with Williams back, and Seattle’s red-zone trouble keeps the margin small. If Seattle keeps Darnold clean and turns the third-down work into touchdowns, it covers; if Cross is out and the pass rush gets home, Chicago can win it. We lean under 46.5: four of Seattle’s seven games have gone under, and its last two produced 31 and 23 points. Not advice. We revisit the pick after Saturday’s game status reports.
The game day guide has the ESPN details, tickets and getting to Lumen Field. Our Week 7 recap has how the Kansas City game was won, and our scouting report from the Eagles game has what Chicago looked like without Williams.
Week 8: Seahawks vs Bears
Questions
What is the prediction for Seahawks vs Bears?
Seattle 23, Chicago 20, made on Monday, October 26, with a lean to the under on 46.5. Seattle's defense has allowed 17.9 points a game and just held Kansas City to 3; Chicago has scored 30 and 31 since Caleb Williams came back. Not advice. We revisit the pick after Saturday's game status reports.
What are the odds for Seahawks vs Bears?
As of Monday, October 26, at 6:46 a.m. Pacific, DraftKings (through ESPN) has Seattle by 3 with a total of 46.5 and a moneyline of Seattle -170, Chicago +142. VegasInsider's consensus at 6:38 a.m. was also Seattle -3 and 46.5; it opened Seattle -4.5 and 47.5.
When is the injury report for Seahawks vs Bears?
For a Monday game, practice reports come Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 29 to 31, each due by 1 p.m. Pacific or after practice, and the game status report (out, doubtful, questionable) on Saturday, October 31.