The Indianapolis Colts will look for their first win of the season when they host the Chicago Bears this Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium, with CBS on the broadcast. The Colts were 2.5-point favorites ahead of Week 2 and have been trimmed down to -1 at some books after losing in Green Bay. The over/under line is at 43.5 in NFL Week 3 odds.
Top overall pick Caleb Williams has struggled over his first two starts for the Bears with a 62.2% completion rate, two interceptions, and nine sacks absorbed to post a 53.0 passer rating. The Chicago defense has paced the team to a 1-1 start by spearheading a 17-point comeback to beat the Titans in Week 1.
Through two weeks, Indianapolis is allowing 237 rushing yards per game, by far the worst mark in the NFL. Anthony Richardson leads an offense that ranks third so far in yards per play (6.7) and seventh in red zone scoring percentage (60%) but has only managed 18.5 points per game thus far.
Below, we look at this Week 3 matchup and focus on a couple of player props at NFL betting sites. We also cover an Illinois sportsbook promotion from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Bears vs. Colts player prop tool
You can use the tool below to search for props by player name. The tool automatically aggregates the available props at multiple sportsbooks to give you a look at the options and prices.
Player props for Bears vs. Colts
How Anthony Richardson could get over 181.5 passing yards
Richardson has one of the strongest arms in football, and he’s been showcasing it early in the season with six pass attempts that have traveled 30-plus yards in the air, tied for the league lead. While he’s only completed 49% of his passes, he’s topped 200 yards in both of his starts to open the season.
Richardson’s longest completion prop sits at 33.5 yards. He logged three completions of 50-plus yards in Week 1 and had ample time to throw in Week 2 at Green Bay; he just failed to connect on most of his longer passes.
How Anthony Richardson could get under 181.5 passing yards
Gameflow could play a role in Richardson coming up short of this prop. The Colts were trailing in most of their first two games because they couldn’t stop the run. To compensate in this game, the defense could adjust by stacking the box, daring Caleb Williams to beat them deep. The rookie has shown little ability to read NFL defenses so far, and the Colts could get out to an early lead, then ride Jonathan Taylor to milk the clock.
Taylor’s rushing yardage prop has a line of 76.5 yards, indicating what oddsmakers project as a healthy workload. Chicago’s secondary is one of the better units in the league. The Bears have elite coverage in Jaylon Johnson and two physical safeties in Jaquan Brisker and Keith Byard, who can key in on Richardson’s deep throws.
How D.J. Moore could get over 60.5 receiving yards
Moore has generated a team-high 18 targets through two games and caught 11 balls for a total of 89 yards. He only managed 36 receiving yards in the season opener against Tennessee, but that came against elite cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, and Caleb Williams didn’t even reach 100 passing yards in his debut. The Chicago Bears coaching staff schemed 10 targets to Moore in Week 2 at Houston, and he managed 53 yards against a great secondary.
Now he faces an Indianapolis Colts secondary that is below average according to many metrics. The Colts might not have enough of a pass rush to rattle Williams, giving the rookie enough time to find his top target. Keenan Allen (heel) might be inactive or hobbled this week, funneling more targets toward Moore.
How D.J. Moore could get under 60.5 receiving yards
Caleb Williams should eventually figure out NFL defenses, but this is a tough spot for the rookie on the road against a desperate 0-2 team in one of the loudest stadiums in football. The Colts have been unable to stop the run through two weeks, so Matt Eberflus might ask his staff to be conservative on offense against his former team, pounding the rock and using Moore on jet sweeps and reverses to get him some touches.
The Colts have allowed the eight-fewest passing yards per game (163) in part because of their poor run defense. Opposing quarterbacks averaged just 7.0 yards per attempt at Indy last season, and opposing offenses averaged 4.2 yards per carry.
