The Washington Commanders will host the Chicago Bears on this week’s edition of Thursday Night Football. The books expect a solid Washington win, with the Commanders listed as 5.5-point favorites. Let’s dive into the best Bears-Commanders player prop picks and anytime touchdown scorer bets for Week 5’s Thursday Night Football contest.
Bears-Commanders Player Props & Anytime Touchdown Bet | Thursday Night Football
Thursday Night Football Odds
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Bears: +205 | Commanders: -250
Bears +5.5: -110 | Commanders -5.5: -110
Over 44.5: -105 | Under 44.5: -115
Expert: Isaiah Sirois
Time: Thursday, Oct. 5 at 8:15 p.m. ET
Bears-Commanders Player Prop
The Chicago Bears haven’t done much well, but they’ve been one of the better teams at disrupting running backs — at least when they’re trying to run the ball. The Bears aren’t allowing many perfectly blocked runs, and they rank a steady 12th in run-stop win rate (32%) However, those same running backs have cut them up through the air — through four weeks, Chicago has allowed an NFL-high 234 receiving yards to the position, good for 58.5 yards per game and 10.2 yards per reception.
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The Bears have been getting beaten by just about any running back who gets a target. Last week, Jaleel McLaughlin and Samaje Perine recorded 32 and 23 yards on three and two receptions, respectively. The week before, Isiah Pacheco got 16 yards on two receptions, and Jerick McKinnon got 19 yards on three receptions — two of which went for touchdowns. Tampa Bay’s Rachaad White got 30 yards on five receptions in Week 2, and Green Bay’s Aaron Jones got 86 on just two receptions.
The Washington Commanders employ a running back-by-committee approach, but of Brian Robinson Jr. and Antonio Gibson, the latter player is the best bet. Gibson’s receiving yardage prop sits at a lowly 13.5. Although he has only surpassed that mark once this year, he beat it 11 times in 15 starts last season, including his start against the Bears. Gibson owns a steady 68.7% route participation rate, which is one of the best for running backs, and should produce through the air come Thursday night.
Bears-Commanders Player Prop Pick: Antonio Gibson Over 13.5 Receiving Yards -108 at DraftKings
Bears-Commanders Anytime Touchdown Scorer
I like Washington to throttle the Chicago defense on Thursday night, and we should get plenty of touchdown passes from Sam Howell. The anytime touchdown odds reflect my suspicion — DraftKings has four members of the Commanders at odds shorter than +220, Brian Robinson Jr. (-115), Terry McLaurin (+115), Jahan Dotson (+210) and Antonio Gibson (+205). However, we’re getting action on tight end Logan Thomas (+250 at Caesars) in this spot.
Aside from running backs, who have four receiving touchdowns against the Bears, the Chicago defense has been quite vulnerable to big-bodied receivers. Last week, 6-foot-4 Courtland Sutton and 6-foot-2 Brandon Johnson both found paydirt. In Week 3, 6-foot-5 Travis Kelce caught a touchdown. In Week 2, 6-foot-5 Mike Evans caught a touchdown, and in Week 1, 6-foot-2 Romeo Doubs caught two. None of Washington’s three top receivers stand taller than six feet, but Thomas stands 6-foot-6.
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It makes sense to target a tight end here, especially since offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is at the helm. Bieniemy’s scheme led to touchdowns aplenty for Travis Kelce when the two worked together in Kansas City. Through four weeks, of which Thomas has only played three, the veteran tight end has recorded two red-zone targets and two targets inside the 10-yard line. Only backup tight end Cole Turner and wide receiver Jahan Dotson have more targets as close to the goal line. Turner isn’t a bad longshot at odds of +1100 at FanDuel, but I’m going to keep things simple by recommending Thomas here.
Bears-Commanders Anytime Touchdown Scorer Bet: Logan Thomas +250 at Caesars
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