This article is part of our NFL Picks series.
Chicago Bears 
at Los Angeles Chargers 
Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions for NFL Week 8
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The Chicago Bears have surprisingly managed without Justin Fields (thumb) over the last five-plus quarters, nearly pulling off a win over the Vikings in the Week 6 game during which he exited early in the third quarter before coming back to topple the Las Vegas Raiders by a 30-12 margin behind rookie undrafted free agent Tyson Bagent in Week 7.
The Chargers are once again underachieving relative to the talent on their roster, as they've stumbled out to a 2-4 mark and continue to have trouble getting past quality teams. Los Angeles has dropped three- and 14-point decisions to the Cowboys and Chiefs in the last two games, despite Austin Ekeler being available for both contests.
Bears @ Chargers Betting Odds for Week 8
*Best lines at time of writing listed
Moneyline: Chargers -425 (DraftKings Sportsbook) / Bears +370 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Point spread: Chargers -8.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook) / Bears +8.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Totals: Over 46.5 points (DraftKings Sportsbook) / Under 46.5 points (DraftKings Sportsbook)
The Chargers were originally -5.5-point favorites when this game first hit the sportsbooks in early summer, but that figure had bolted up to 10.5 prior to Week 7. The combination of Bagent's solid Week 7 performance and the Bolts' second straight loss chipped two points from that number, and it's continued to toggle between 8.0 and 8.5 since then.
The total has unsurprisingly seen its fair share of movement as well, with the number dropping from a pre-Week 7 figure of 48.5 all the way to 44.5 in the immediate aftermath of Week 7. However, it's progressively crept back up to its current figure of 46.5, despite Fields being confirmed as out again this week.
Bears @ Chargers Betting Picks This Week
The Chargers' struggles against quality opponents shouldn't factor into this matchup, one where Los Angeles is clearly the better team top to bottom, on paper. The biggest advantage for the Bolts is naturally at the quarterback position, where Herbert owns an edge in every sense over the feisty but still very raw Bagent.
The Bears have helped protect the rookie with conservative play calls and some effective work on the ground by fill-in D'Onta Foreman, who's contributed 154 rushing yards and a pair of rushing scores at 5.0 yards per carry and a receiving touchdown on four catches as well over the last two games. Foreman will be rejoined this week by rookie Roschon Johnson, who's cleared concussion protocol.
However, the hopes of maintaining a balanced offense that keeps Los Angeles' aggressive pass rush off Bagent are dimmer in Week 8. The Chargers defense has displayed significant improvement against the run this season, allowing a meager 80.7 rushing yards per home game and 3.6 yards per carry to running backs overall.
Then, Los Angeles boasts an impressive 35% pressure rate and an AFC-high 23% sack conversion rate. The Bears' offensive line has done a reasonably good job in pass protection, but Joey Bosa and friends should be one of their toughest challenges yet.
The matchup is also favorable for the Chargers' offense, which faces a Bears defense that's certainly shown some improvement in the last two weeks but is also facing a higher caliber of opponent this week. Los Angeles is averaging the eighth-most total yards per game (364.2) despite its sub-.500 record, and Herbert faces a defense that's given up 326.3 passing yards per game on the road at 10.9 yards per completion.
The Chargers essentially have no more room for error, especially against teams they're clearly more talented than. The matchup between Los Angeles' air attack and the Bears secondary is especially enticing, while L.A.'s pass rush should force the inexperienced Bagent into enough mistakes to keep Chicago's offensive contributions fairly modest.
Bears at Chargers Best Bets: Same-Game Parlay- Chargers moneyline and Under 46.5 points (+123 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
Bears @ Chargers Prediction
Chargers 27, Bears 16
As already alluded to, it's crunch time for the Chargers, which can't afford to lose any more ground in the AFC West. It also isn't an embellishment to state Brandon Staley's job is essentially on the line, so how Los Angeles performs the rest of the way is of utmost importance to the future of him and his staff. This is a very beatable opponent, and Justin Herbert and co. are as heavy a favorite as they are for a reason. As such, I envision a double-digit victory here that serves as a band-aid for the time being.
