Can the student usurp the master? That’s what Matt Nagy will be looking to do when his Chicago Bears take on the Kansas City Chiefs this Saturday. This will be the first time that Nagy is out from under the wing of his mentor, Andy Reid. Reid gave Nagy his first NFL job, hiring him on as an intern when he was head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Nagy slowly climbed the coaching ladder and eventually followed Reid to Kansas City, becoming the Chiefs’ quarterback coach and then the offensive coordinator before being hired by the Chicago Bears this offseason. There will be a little more to this battle than your typical NFL Preseason game.
NFL Preseason Week 3 Betting Odds (Courtesy of BetDSI)
Kansas City Chiefs +2
Chicago Bears -2
Total 48
Chicago Bears
The Bears are 1-2 this preseason, but their three games have been decided by a total of five points. That has made them winners on the NFL betting line with a 2-1 ATS mark coming into this one.
On the injury front, Chicago will be without linebacker Leonard Floyd for the rest of the preseason. Floyd fractured his hand in Chicago’s game against Denver last week, and at this point the team is simply hoping he is ready for the start of the regular season. Additionally, tight end Adam Shaheen is doubtful to play because of a sprained ankle.
Nagy is expected to play Mitchell Trubisky for at least the first half half and will send Chase Daniel into the fray whenever Trubisky is done for the day. The big question coming into this game revolves around first-round pick Roquan Smith though. Smith was the last draft pick to sign as he and the Bears tried to iron out the details of his rookie deal. He has yet to play and is likely to make his NFL debut against the Chiefs.
Related: How to bet the NFL preseason
Kansas City Chiefs
Andy Reid’s side is 1-1 SU and 1-1 ATS this preseason. While almost every other team has had at least one game go over the total, each of the Chiefs games have gone under.
Second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes has made a number of mistakes in training camp, but has looked solid in limited action during the Chiefs’ first two preseason games. He showed his potential against the Falcons, throwing a rocket over three defenders to find Tyreek Hill for a 69-yard touchdown. Reid is probably going to have Mahomes run more of the offense here to get him more comfortable for the start of the season.
In particular, Reid may want Mahomes to establish some chemistry with prized offseason addition Sammy Watkins. Kansas City gave Watkins $30 million in guaranteed money this March, even though Watkins caught just 39 passes with the Rams in 2017. He has yet to catch a pass in preseason, and the Chiefs are looking to justify that investment. I expect Mahomes to look Watkins’ way often here.
Patrick Mahomes’ 65-freaking-yards-in-the-air throw to Tyreek Hill over 3 defenders… and watch til the end. pic.twitter.com/qd3SnpVeR9
— Tom Martin (@TomKCTV5) August 18, 2018
Kansas City Chiefs at Chicago Bears Betting Prediction
Although Nagy would love to pick up a win against his old mentor, the Chiefs are the right pick in this one. Reid has a sub-.500 record in preseason, but he has shined in Week 3. This is the week where teams traditionally play their starters for longer stretches of the game, and Reid has taken it more seriously than others. He has a 12-7 record in Week 3 of the preseason, so there is plenty of value in Kansas City, especially since they’re listed as an underdog.
