Chargers vs. Bears: Time, odds, TV, live stream, keys to game, prediction for Week 8 ‘Sunday Night Football’

Raise your hand if you expected the Bears and Chargers to have the same amount of wins entering Week 8 of the 2023 NFL season. Los Angeles has always had its skeptics under coach Brandon Staley, but with star quarterback Justin Herbert getting a new offensive coordinator, there had been hope for a real step forward by the Bolts. Instead, when the Bears come to town on Sunday night, the Chargers will be trying to avoid a three-game skid while matched up with a suddenly intriguing Windy City squad.

All but one of L.A.’s six games thus far have been one-score decisions, and the only one that wasn’t came last week, when Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs easily skated to a big AFC West win. Herbert is finally taking some of his own heat for late-game struggles. And suddenly “Sunday Night Football” feels like a must-win scenario for Staley’s talented but troubled “contender.”

The Bears, meanwhile, looked like a safe bet to earn the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft before reigniting under young QB Justin Fields. But then Fields hurt his throwing hand, forcing undrafted rookie backup Tyson Bagent into the mix. Increasingly known for his improbable rise from Division II football, Bagent actually looked the part in his starting debut, and he’ll get a chance to prove he’s no fluke under the prime-time lights, matched up with a Chargers pass “D” that ranks dead-last in the NFL.

Which side will show up to help close Week 8? And how can you tune in? Find everything you need to know below, including key matchups and a game prediction:

How to watch

• When: Sunday, Oct. 29 | 8:20 p.m. ET
• Location: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
• TV: NBC | Live stream: fubo (try for free)
• Odds: Chargers -8.5, O/U 46.5 (via SportsLine consensus odds)  

Keys to the game

• Can anyone get after Justin Herbert? While the Bears have been middle of the pack in terms of yards allowed, they rank 32nd in sacks per game (1.4). Matt Eberflus can’t afford to just let Herbert sit back and spread the ball around. He’s got to find creative ways to pressure the QB so that back-end starters like Jaylon Johnson have a chance to make plays on the ball.
• Who’s covering D.J. Moore? The ex-Panthers star has been hit or miss in some respects, but his explosiveness is undeniable. Tyson Bagent figures to be looking his way early and often. And perhaps Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy will look to move Moore around so that Michael Davis, who’s grading poorly in coverage, has to face him in L.A.’s ailing secondary.
• Will the Bears let Bagent air it out? This kind of goes along with the Moore equation, but in his starting debut against the Raiders, Chicago mostly confined the rookie fill-in to short-area targets. With the Chargers giving up more yards through the air than any other team, it’s possible the Bears will allow the QB to try more downfield shots, such as to speedster Darnell Mooney.

Prediction

Brandon Staley seemingly entered the season on the hot seat, and now all eyes will be on his team Sunday night, with an admirable underdog story on the other side. Great opportunity for Herbert to rebound with a feast upon the Bears’ 29th-ranked pass defense? Maybe. A night tailor-made for ex-Bears star Khalil Mack to wreak havoc on Chicago’s banged-up line, as he did against another former team in the Raiders earlier this year? Maybe.

But the Chargers almost always make things more difficult than they need to be. What Bagent lacks in proven downfield passing ability he at least partially offsets with instinctive mobility. That alone, coupled with Roschon Johnson’s expected return alongside D’Onta Foreman (150+ rushing yards the last two weeks) could allow the Bears to control the clock longer than expected. Throw in two of Herbert’s weapons — wide receiver Josh Palmer and tight end Gerald Everett — working through injuries, and the ingredients are there for a spoiler performance out of Chicago.

In the end, the Chargers are probably too talented to drop this one at home with a 2-5 start staring them in the face. But 2-5 is a possibility for a reason, so we expect Bagent and Co. to keep things interesting until the final buzzer. 

Pick: Chargers 26, Bears 21