WagerTalk handicapper Tony Mejia<\/a> offers his Las Vegas Raiders vs Chicago Bears NFL Week 5 betting preview. At the time of posting, the Raiders are a -5.5 home favorite over the Bears with the total sitting at 44.5 points.<\/p>\n Stay on top of the latest NFL<\/a> updates direct from Las Vegas!<\/em><\/p>\n Las Vegas made a run after falling behind 21-0 and nearly caught the Chargers in L.A. before falling short on Monday night, pulling within a score and regaining possession with a chance to tie it in the fourth quarter. Head coach Jon Gruden wasn\u2019t pleased with his defense\u2019s inability to make plays when in mattered most and felt his offense struggled to protect Derek Carr early as he failed to get in a rhythm, but the Raiders nevertheless fought hard and nearly thrilled a partisan crowd at the new SoFi Stadium that still supports them despite the fact the Raiders haven\u2019t played in Los Angeles since 1994.<\/p>\n The Raiders now look to benefit from some home cooking in their own new stadium as they aim to improve to 3-0 at the \u201cDeath Star,\u201d where they\u2019ve secured overtime wins against the Ravens and Dolphins in Year 2 of their run in Las Vegas, where they\u2019ve packed their new house now that fans are allowed back in attendance.<\/p>\n Although it will be coming off a short week, Las Vegas will look to pick up its first cover in a favorite\u2019s role as Chicago arrives in search of its first road victory. The Bears come off a 24-14 Week 4 victory over Detroit that saw rookie QB Justin Fields settle in with his best performance, throwing for 209 yards on just 11 completions one week after he finished just 6-for-20 for 68 yards while being sacked nine times in 26-6 loss to Cleveland.<\/p>\n Andy Dalton may be ready to return after missing time with a bone bruise in his knee but head coach Matt Nagy stated mid-week that Fields has earned the job going forward. It\u2019s a reversal from his previous inclination that Dalton, an 11-year veteran, would be his starter when healthy.<\/p>\n Chicago RB David Montgomery softened up the Lions defense by running for 106 yards and two touchdowns but left early with a knee injury that will keep him out at least a month. Early reports hinted at a likely hyperextension and nothing significant, but Montgomery is likely to land on IR.<\/p>\n Damien Williams, who found the end zone last week and has plenty of experience facing the Raiders from his days with Kansas City, will fill in at running back. Fields will also add a boost on the ground considering he\u2019s always a threat to escape the pocket and take off. Between Robinson, Darnell Mooney and tight end Cole Kmet, Fields has plenty of targets to try and hurt the Raiders with after they struggled to keep L.A.\u2019s Justin Herbert from racking up one first down after another to keep Carr and the offense off the field.<\/p>\n Las Vegas\u2019 offense will have to deal with Khalil Mack, formerly Oakland\u2019s No. 5 overall pick back in 2014. He was the NFL\u2019s Defensive Player of the Year back in 2017 but held out and was moved in one of Gruden\u2019s most controversial moves upon his return to the Raiders.<\/p>\n The Raiders won the most recent matchup between these teams back in October of \u201919 by a 24-21 score in London\u2019s new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which will host the Falcons and Jets on Sunday in the latest installment of NFL\u2019s International Series initiative. Chicago trailed 17-0 at the break but rallied to take a lead only to lose on Josh Jacobs 2-yard TD run with under 2:00 remaining.<\/p>\n With Montgomery out and Fields back out on the road, laying the 5.5 points with Las Vegas looks like the move. The Browns embarrassed the Fields-led Bears when he took the field for his first NFL start on Sept. 26, so crowd noise and unfamiliar surroundings will be obstacles for the rookie to overcome. He won\u2019t be facing the Lions either, and must be prepared for the possibility that a suspect offensive line won\u2019t be able to effectively block the likes of Maxx Crosby, Yannick Ngakoue and Carl Nassib.<\/p>\n Las Vegas RB Josh Jacobs isn\u2019t 100 percent due to an ankle injury but did manage to play through the issue against the Chargers, returning from a two-game absence. He\u2019s been limited in practice this week but is likely to be back out there to give Carr a full complement of weapons alongside tight end Darren Waller and receivers Henry Ruggs, Bryan Edwards and Hunter Renfroe. Back Las Vegas to beat the Bears at home convincingly.<\/strong><\/p>\n Spicy thread…Chargers\/Raiders play in Las Vegas in Week 18..1\/9\/22 https:\/\/t.co\/hk8rNtMOTy<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Tony Mejia (@MejiaDinero) October 5, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nRaiders vs Bears Betting Preview<\/h3>\n
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