Chicago Bears vs Cincinnati Bengals Picks and Prediction for Saturday August 22, 2026

The Chicago Bears travel to Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, to face the Cincinnati Bengals in NFL preseason Week 2 on Saturday, August 22, 2026. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. Both teams enter the matchup 1-0 in the preseason, with Chicago coming off a convincing 34-10 victory over Cleveland while Cincinnati edged Detroit 16-14.

The betting market has Chicago as approximately a 1.5-point road favorite, although the line has moved between Bears -1.5 and Bengals -1.5 at different books. The total is available around 36.5 points, with Chicago roughly -120 on the moneyline. With preseason lines capable of moving quickly based on playing-time announcements, bettors should confirm the number before wagering. Get ready for the NFL action all season long with our free NFL picks.

Bears Show Their Depth Against Cleveland

Chicago opened the preseason with a 34-10 home victory over the Cleveland Browns, despite resting Caleb Williams and a significant portion of the starting lineup. The Bears trailed 3-0 after the opening quarter and were tied 10-10 at halftime before taking complete control. Chicago scored 24 unanswered points in the second half, including 14 in the third quarter and another 10 in the fourth, showing exactly the type of roster depth that can become particularly valuable during preseason games.

The Bears received productive quarterback play throughout the afternoon. Tyson Bagent completed 13 of 22 passes for 169 yards and a score, while Case Keenum went 9 of 10 for 151 yards and a two touchdowns. Rookie Miller Moss also contributed, completing 3 of 8 attempts for 48 yards and a touchdown. Altogether, Chicago's quarterbacks threw for 368 yards, giving the Bears consistent production regardless of which unit was on the field. Chicago's ability to continue moving the football after substitutions is one of the most encouraging takeaways entering Week 2.

The defensive performance was equally important. Chicago held Cleveland to 10 points and completely shut the Browns out after halftime. The Bears also generated turnovers and consistently prevented Cleveland from establishing sustained offensive momentum. That combination of quarterback depth and second-half defensive effectiveness makes Chicago particularly interesting in a preseason setting because the Bears did not need their regular-season starters to dominate their opener.

Bengals Edge Detroit in Preseason Opener

Cincinnati began its preseason with a 16-14 victory over the Detroit Lions at Paycor Stadium. Unlike Chicago, the Bengals gave several offensive starters some early work. Joe Burrow played 13 snaps and completed 5 of 6 passes for 39 yards, giving Cincinnati an opportunity to work on its offense before turning the game over to the reserves. Burrow wasn't asked to push the ball aggressively downfield, but the efficiency was encouraging.

Veteran backup Joe Flacco completed 5 of 8 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown, providing Cincinnati with another productive quarterback performance after Burrow exited. Josh Johnson handled much of the later work and completed 10 of 19 passes for 84 yards. Cincinnati therefore received competent quarterback play through multiple levels of its depth chart, which is one reason the Bengals were able to hold off Detroit despite the game remaining close throughout the second half.

Cincinnati's defense also created important opportunities. The Bengals forced turnovers and limited Detroit enough to escape with the two-point victory, but the margin was considerably narrower than Chicago's opening performance. The Bengals do have the advantage of playing their second consecutive preseason game at home. However, if Cincinnati reduces the workload of its established starters after getting Burrow and the first unit onto the field in Week 1, this game could increasingly become a battle between the two teams' reserves. Based on the first preseason game, that scenario appears to favor Chicago.

Chicago Bears vs Cincinnati Bengals Picks and Prediction

Pick: Chicago Bears -1.5

The pick is Chicago Bears -1.5. Chicago's 34-10 victory over Cleveland provided an excellent demonstration of why quarterback and roster depth matter so much during the preseason. The Bears received productive passing performances from three quarterbacks and outscored Cleveland 24-0 after halftime. Cincinnati was solid in its 16-14 victory over Detroit, but Chicago showed more dominance once the reserves took control of the game. With the number below a field goal, the Bears are the preferred side.

Pick: Over 36.5

The total pick is Over 36.5. Chicago produced 34 points by itself in Week 1 while getting 348 passing yards from its quarterbacks, and Cincinnati showed enough quarterback competency across its rotation to contribute to the scoring. The Bengals scored 16 against Detroit, while their defense allowed 14. Neither team needs an offensive explosion for this game to reach the high 30s. With Chicago's reserve offense looking particularly capable, Over 36.5 offers the better side of the total.

Prediction: Chicago Bears 23, Cincinnati Bengals 17