The Sun-Times’ experts offer their picks for the Bears’ home game Sunday against the Raiders:
Rick Morrissey
Raiders 17-14
The Raiders are bad on offense, and the Bears are worse on defense. I worry about Tyson Bagent’s safety. Starting for the injured Justin Fields, the rookie quarterback will face defensive end Maxx Crosby, who never seems to tire in his pursuit of red meat. Season: 5-1.
Rick Telander
Raiders 20-16
Word is if you can throw a Nerf ball or holler out signals like a drill sergeant you should come to Halas Hall and try out for the Bears’ quarterback position. It’s open, empty, and full of mirth. Season: 3-3.
Scoop Jackson
Bears 21-18 (OT)
The Bagent/Brock Purdy Experiment begins. Could be both the best and worst case scenarios wrapped up in the same game. Win or lose. With the Bears’ luck, this is about to be their new “best” problem. Season: 3-3.
Patrick Finley
Raiders 24-23
The Bears won their last matchup against the Raiders — Oct. 10, 2021, in Las Vegas. Since then, the Bears have won one-fifth of their games — seven out of 35. Season: 5-1.
Jason Lieser
Raiders 16-15
The Raiders aren’t good, but they’ve looked decisively better than the Bears across the board this season. They’re a .500 opponent, which is daunting. Season: 2-4.
Mark Potash
Raiders 31-27
Bagent, an undrafted, unheralded, unlikely quarterback, is not in a bad spot here in his NFL starting debut — at home against a beatable opponent — and could give the Bears’ offense a spark. But the Bears are 1-5 for a reason. Season: 2-4.
