NFL Preseason Week 1: The Bills are set to engage in their second preseason contest, only this evening they will play host as the Bears visit Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, New York. Dick Jauron's club participated in the Hall of Fame game last Sunday night in Canton, Ohio, losing 18-21 to the Tennessee Titans. Tonight's game will be Chicago's first of the exhibition season. NFL Preseason Week 1: Chicago Bears vs Buffalo Bills NFL Picks, Odds & Predictions at Bodog.com have the Bills listed as a -3 against the spread favorite.
Chicago Bears: Tonight's game will not only be the Bears first of the 2009 season, it will also mark Jay Cutler's Chicago debut. Chicago picked up Cutler in a trade that sent former starter Kyle Orton to the Broncos. Orton played his first game for Denver last night; he completed nine of 16 passes and threw three interceptions.
Suffice it to say that Cutler is hoping for a better performance than the one Orton put on in last night's 16-17 loss to the 49ers, but the Vanderbilt product indicated that this evening's game is not of the highest importance.
"Preseason is preseason," Cutler said. "You want to get your work done and get out as fast as possible without getting anybody hurt. We want to get some quality work in, but we don't want to overdo it."
Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith will be using tonight's game, and the rest of the preseason, as a chance to evaluate players in a full speed, full contact environment. Chicago has starting spots up for grabs in the linebacking corps as well as the secondary that will be determined over the next couple of weeks.
"Competition takes everything up a notch, and guys are ready to compete for those roster spots," Smith said. "We have a lot of guys here, but they know 53 stay, and every time you get a chance, you need to prove you belong."
Buffalo Bills: The Bills had an inauspicious debut last weekend as they were dominated by the Titans in the first half. Tennessee moved the ball effectively and shut down Buffalo's offense for the most part, which lead to a 21-6 halftime lead for Jeff Fisher's club.
Head Coach Dick Jauron was apparantly not that worried about how things played out as the starters will not see anymore action tonight than they did on Sunday.
"We're not looking to play them signficantly more than we did a week ago," Jauron said. "If they do, it'd be a few more plays."
Game Notes: Tonight's contest is set to get underway at 7:00pm ET and it will be broadcast live on the NFL Network. Defensive tackle Tommie Harris, free safety Danieal Manning, and cornerback Charles Tillman will not play for Chicago this evening. Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens will also be out of action as he is nursing a toe injury. Owens caught two passes for 27 yards in his Buffalo debut on Sunday.
Bodog.com NFL Preseason Week 1: Chicago Bears vs Buffalo Bills NFL Picks, Odds & Predictions
Chicago Bears +3 (-115), Over 34.5 (-110)
Buffalo Bills -3 (-105), Under 34.5 (-110)
Bet on sports at online sportsbook Bodog.com and receive a 10% Deposit Bonus and start winning today!
