Cincinnati Bengals vs Chicago Bears NFL Preview: Team news, betting, tickets, live stream, Fantasy Football and more

The Chicago Bears stumbled in Week 8, seeing their four-game winning streak snapped with a tough loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Still, there’s a golden opportunity to get back on track in Week 9 as they head to Cincinnati to take on the 3-5 Bengals.

Chicago opened the season on shaky ground, dropping back-to-back rivalry games against the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. However, the Bears quickly turned things around, stringing together four straight victories over the Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders, and New Orleans Saints, a stretch that showcased their growing rhythm on both sides of the ball.

As for Cincinnati, the Bengals kicked off their campaign on a high note, edging the Cleveland Browns before following it up with a solid win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Since then, though, things have gone downhill. A four-game skid, with losses to the Vikings, Broncos, Lions, and Packers, has left them searching for consistency and a way to stop the slide before it’s too late.

Cincinnati Bengals vs Chicago Bears kick-off time

NFL

Paycor Stadium

The Bengals and the Bears will meet in Week 9 of the NFL season at Paycor Stadium in Cleveland, OH, on Sunday, November 2, starting at 1:00 pm ET.

Team news & squads

Cincinnati Bengals team news

Five players were listed as DNP: Joe Flacco (shoulder), Trey Hendrickson (hip), Dalton Risner (illness), Logan Wilson (calf), and Marco Wilson (hamstring). Meanwhile, Dylan Fairchild, Decric Johnson, and Cameron Sample all logged full sessions.

The big storyline, of course, revolves around Flacco's availability. Head coach Zac Taylor said Wednesday it's currently “about 50-50” whether Flacco suits up on Sunday. He opened the week not practicing, and if the shoulder doesn't cooperate, we could see Jake Browning step in as the starter.

Flacco has given Cincinnati’s offense a veteran boost, completing 64.3% of his passes for 784 yards and seven touchdowns without a single interception. The dynamic duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins has been electric, combining for 1,080 yards and nine touchdowns through the air, while tight end Noah Fant adds 23 receptions as a dependable short-yardage option.

The Bengals’ ground game hasn’t been as productive, averaging just 82.9 yards per outing, with Chase Brown leading the way at 383 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Defensively, however, Cincinnati has struggled to contain opponents, allowing 31.6 points and 407.9 yards per game. Demetrius Knight Jr. paces the defense with 62 tackles, Trey Hendrickson anchors the pass rush with four sacks, and Jordan Battle has contributed three interceptions in the secondary.

Bengals Injury Report : Marco Wilson, CB - Questionable , Cam Sample, DE - Questionable , Matt Lee, C - Questionable , Trey Hendrickson, DE - Questionable , Joe Flacco, QB - Questionable

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Chicago Bears team news

The headline out of Chicago on Wednesday was the long list of wideouts held out of practice. Luther Burden III (concussion), DJ Moore (hip/groin), Rome Odunze (heel), and Olamide Zaccheaus (knee) were all listed as DNP to open the week — essentially the entire top of the Bears’ receiver depth chart.

Before anyone hits the panic button, this has been somewhat standard procedure for Chicago lately. The staff has shown they’re willing to give guys midweek rest to manage lingering bumps and bruises without it necessarily affecting their Sunday availability. We’ll know more as the week progresses, but it’s too early to sound alarms just yet.

The Bears also had Roschon Johnson (back), Dominque Robinson (ankle), and D’Andre Swift (groin) listed as DNP. Worth noting: Swift was also a midweek DNP last week and still suited up with no limitations. On the positive side, Cole Kmet (back) and Tyrique Stevenson (shoulder) were limited participants — which is actually an upgrade from this time last week when both were sidelined. Both seem to be trending the right direction. Amen Ogbongbemiga (knee) practiced fully.

Caleb Williams has been steady under center for Chicago, completing 61.9% of his throws for 1,636 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions on the year. The rookie has found reliable targets in DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, who have combined for 804 receiving yards and six scores, while D’Andre Swift has chipped in as a safety valve with 18 catches out of the backfield. On the ground, Chicago’s rushing attack continues to be a key part of its identity, averaging 124.6 yards per game, with Swift leading the charge at 464 yards and four touchdowns.

Defensively, the Bears have had their share of ups and downs, giving up 26.4 points and 350.7 yards per contest. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds has been a tackling machine with 64 total stops, Gervon Dexter Sr. leads the pass rush with 3.5 sacks, and Kevin Byard III has emerged as a ballhawk with four interceptions.

Bears Injury Report : Tyrique Stevenson, CB - Questionable , Cole Kmet, TE - Questionable , Roschon Johnson, RB - Questionable , Dominique Robinson, DE - Out , Shemar Turner, DT - Out

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Watch and live stream Bengals vs Bears in the USA

The Bengals vs Bears game in Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season will be broadcast live nationally on CBS. Fans can catch the coverage onFubo (Try for free today!) and Paramount+.

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More details on where to watch the game in the United States, including streaming options, will be released soon, so keep an eye out for our dedicated coverage.

Watch and live stream Bengals vs Bears worldwide

For fans outside the U.S. looking to stay plugged into the action,NFL Game Pass on DAZN is the ultimate ticket. It serves up more than 200 regular-season and playoff matchups, complete Super Bowl coverage, plus access to NFL Network, NFL RedZone, and plenty more to keep you locked in all year long.

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To bypass regional restrictions or to access the game if you are travelling abroad, you can watch the action using a Virtual Private Network like ExpressVPN.

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How to buy Bengals vs Bears tickets

Tickets are already up for grabs on StubHub, with entry starting at $386. From there, prices climb through the tiers — $300, $400, $500, $600, $700, $800, $900, $1,000, and stretching all the way into the premium ranges of $2,000, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, $6,000, and topping out at $10,406 for the best seats in the house.

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Bengals vs Bears Fantasy Football

Caleb Williams (19.8 projected W9 fpts) turned in one of his cleaner passing performances of the season last week, completing a season-best 25 throws while posting a 65.8% completion rate and 285 yards, his second-highest yardage total this year. Still, with no touchdowns and one interception, he finished as just the QB18 (11.8 points). Williams has now landed outside the QB1 tier in three of his last four outings, reminding fantasy managers that the floor is still volatile even when the box score looks better.

D’Andre Swift has quietly become one of the safest weekly plays in fantasy, logging 15+ points in four straight games. With Chicago drawing a soft matchup against Cincinnati's run defense, analysts see Swift as a strong RB2 with RB1 upside. The only note of caution? Rookie Kyle Monangai continues to siphon snaps and touches. Swift remains a quality Week 9 start, just know that his late-season ceiling could hinge on how that timeshare evolves.

Rome Odunze (10.7 projected W9 fpts) enters Week 9 as the undisputed centerpiece of Chicago’s aerial attack. After a brief midseason lull, he bounced back in style with a 7-catch, 114-yard outing that reaffirmed why the Bears drafted him as a franchise cornerstone. With volume, matchup, and trust trending in his favor, Odunze profiles as a strong WR2 play against Cincinnati.

Joe Flacco (17.8 projected W9 fpts) is working through a shoulder issue, but if he gets the green light, this passing game remains firmly on the upswing. In his three starts for Cincinnati, Flacco has finished as the QB13 (18.8 points), QB6 (26.0 points), and QB5 (24.3 points). If he practices by week’s end, he’s a viable starting option again — if not, we’ll need to reassess the entire Bengals offense.

Chase Brown (11.9 projected W9 fpts) is one of the trendiest upward movers heading into Week 9. His efficiency keeps climbing, and the Bengals’ offense looks steadier with Flacco steering the ship. Against a Bears defense that can be gashed on the ground, Brown is a solid RB2 play with real scoring potential.

And then there’s Ja’Marr Chase (14.5 projected W9 fpts), who remains a target magnet in this revamped Bengals attack. Since Flacco stepped in, Chase has averaged a staggering 18 targets per game and sits near the top of the league in both opportunity and production. As long as the volume remains this outrageous, Chase stays locked in as a weekly WR1 — matchup-proof, weather-proof, everything-proof.

Bengals vs Bears Game Predictions

The edge in this matchup slightly tilts toward the Chicago Bears, though it’s hardly a confident pick given both teams are coming off disappointing losses. Chicago struggled to find rhythm in last week’s setback against the Ravens, converting just 6 of 14 attempts on third and fourth downs while surrendering 177 rushing yards and failing to force a single turnover. The biggest issue, however, came from a lack of discipline, the Bears were flagged 11 times for 79 yards, stalling drives and momentum in what became a two-score defeat.

Offensively, it was an uncharacteristic outing, as the 16 points marked their lowest total of the season after averaging 25 or more in their previous three wins. Still, if Chicago can clean up the penalties and tighten its run defense, it should have enough to bounce back. Expect a scrappy, low-scoring contest, but one that ends with the Bears edging out the Bengals in a close affair. 

Prediction: Bears 24, Bengals 20.

Bengals vs Bears Betting Odds

Spread

Bears -2.5 (-109)

Bengals +2.5 (-112)

Moneyline

Bears -143

Bengals +115

Total

OVER 52.5 (-108)

UNDER 52.5 (-112)

Form

Head-to-Head Record

CIN

Last 5 matches

CHI

2

Wins

0

Draws

3

Wins

• Chicago Bears

  27

  -

  3

  Cincinnati Bengals

• Chicago Bears

  20

  -

  17

  Cincinnati Bengals

• Cincinnati Bengals

  30

  -

  27

  Chicago Bears

• Cincinnati Bengals

  7

  -

  33

  Chicago Bears

• Cincinnati Bengals

  21

  -

  10

  Chicago Bears

Useful links

• Bengals 2025 NFL schedule: TV channel, livestream & where to watch the games
• Bears 2025 NFL schedule: TV channel, livestream & where to watch the games
• How to watch and live stream NFL football for free and without cable
• 2025 fantasy football rankings: Running back (RB) | Wide receiver (WR) | Tight end (TE) | Quarterback (QB)