Bears predictions: Week 9 at Bengals

The Sun-Times’ Bears experts make their pick for Sunday’s game against the Bengals in Cincinnati (noon, CBS 2):

Patrick Finley

Bengals, 31-28: A team that needed last-second plays to beat the Raiders and Commanders, who are both 2-5, will lose at the gun to the 3-5 Bengals. Winning on the road is hard — particularly when the Bears defense is banged up and their quarterback is inconsistent. Season: 5-2.

Jason Lieser

Bears, 29-25: The Bears will have their hands full with wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but the Bengals don't have Joe Burrow, and their defense has allowed the most points in the NFL. Season: 3-4.

 

Scoop Jackson

Bengals, 25-24: Scraping out wins was cute until it wasn’t. The Bengals ain’t the Ravens, just very similar. Dangerous. Desperate. This is the “wake up call” week for the Bears. The end of “now or next week. Season: 3-4.

 

Steve Greenberg

Bears, 31-27: It feels all kinds of wrong to believe in the banged-up Bears — and I really don't — but the Bengals are terrible at defending the pass and essentially no better against the run, setting up Caleb Williams and D'Andre Swift for good days at the offense. And if Jake Browning is the opposing QB? Dude rolls out of bed throwing interceptions. Season: 5-2.

 

Mark Potash

 

Bears, 44-24: The last time the Bears lost, they responded in stellar fashion against a bad Cowboys defense and won, 31-14. Ben Johnson challenged his team again this week, and the Bears figure to get well against a woeful Bengals defense. Season: 5-2.