Football bettors have two games on Sunday to analyze for savvy NFL picks: Dolphins vs. Bears at 1 p.m. ET and Saints vs. Chargers at 4:05 p.m. ET.
Leveraging Bet Labs and Action PRO tools, we’ll profile two NFL predictions rooted in professional money flows and proven systems.
Both predictions are against the spread — one full-game pick, and another first-half selection using a smart betting trend.
First, let’s dive into the big-money side for Dolphins vs. Bears in the early window, and analyze the side raking in three-quarters of the money on less than half the tickets we track.
NFL Picks & Predictions for Sunday
The Ben Johnson era gets underway Sunday at Soldier Field. The Bears are -3 in the preseason opener against the Dolphins. Bears second-year QB Caleb Williams will sit out, with Tyson Bagent starting and expected to play through the first half.
From our PRO data, a notable sharp-money consensus is forming around Chicago to cover the 3-point spread. Despite only 37% of the total tickets backing the Bears, a commanding 84% of the wagered dollars are on Chicago, a bullish sign from professional bettors.
This contrast, favoring Chicago by volume of dollars over sheer ticket count, indicates heavy sharp support. Johnson makes his home debut, and the market is clearly signaling confidence in his squad’s ability to perform out the gates, with significant big-money wagers backing the favorites against the full-game spread.
PRO Pick: Bears -3
Turning to the Saints vs. Chargers game, the best PRO system bet is the Saints to cover the first-half spread.
While New Orleans is projected as one of the weaker teams this season and unlikely to be a popular bet long-term, they will field starters in the opener including QB Spencer Rattler.
Bet Labs’ “First Half Road Chalk” trend is especially relevant here. This system identifies that in the preseason, road teams favored by up to 4.5 points tend to outperform in the first half. Travel isn’t really an issue, allowing undervalued road favorites to establish leads before second- and third-string players get reps.
Historically, this trend has produced a solid 57% win rate backing first-half road favorites like the Saints, making this a reliable angle casual bettors may overlook for Sunday’s NFL picks.
PRO System Pick: Saints to Cover First Half
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