2025 NFL Picks – Week 8: Bears at Ravens

The Matchup. Edge: TBA.

HATE MAIL: We’re going to post hate mail here this year. Here’s a reply on X:

It sucks that this person deleted his comment, but it went something like, “I thought your 350-pound fat a** was boycotting this game!?”

Meanwhile, I had some fun replying to idiots who believe that trans people are a real thing. No one in the history of humanity has ever changed their gender, no matter how many pointless surgeries they’ve had, but idiots don’t seem to understand this concept:

Whoa, mind blown! If there’s no such thing as WalterFootball.com, what are you reading right now!?

Another one:

Tylenol is a good explanation for why there are so many whack jobs out there. Here’s the rest of the conversation:

Imagine being dumb enough to believe that you can change the chromosome your dad gave you from X to Y, or vice versa, simply by wearing odd clothes and having some external surgeries. Yikes.

BALTIMORE OFFENSE: We must begin with the Ravens because that’s where all the uncertainty lies. Lamar Jackson was expected to return from injury this week, but he didn’t practice on Monday. I laughed when I saw someone on X say that Jackson recovers slower than some old lady who had fallen down at the nursing home.

Jackson’s presence obviously has an immense impact on this game. The Ravens won’t have much of a chance against an improved Chicago defense with either Cooper Rush or Tyler Huntley, but Jackson will be able to break free for some long gains on the ground. I don’t trust the Chicago ends to keep him in the pocket like the Lions did several weeks ago. Jackson will also attack a secondary missing its best cornerback.

Derrick Henry will also benefit from Jackson’s presence. Defending Henry is very difficult with Jackson beside him in the pocket. If Jackson is out, however, Chicago’s 11th-ranked run defense should be able to keep Henry in check.

CHICAGO OFFENSE: We’re awaiting major injury news on this side of the ball as well. Half of Baltimore’s defense was sidelined for a couple of games prior to the bye. We know that someone like Nnamdi Madubuike will not be returning, but Roquan Smith and others being available would be huge.

It’s difficult to diagnose this matchup at the moment because we don’t know which Baltimore players will be available. What we do know is that the Ravens showcased one of the worst defenses in the NFL because of their countless injuries. The only team worse against the rush is the Bengals, and we know that Ben Johnson really wants to run the ball. D’Andre Swift will have a big game if the important Ravens are still sidelined.

The Ravens are also generating no pressure on the quarterback. Caleb Williams could have all the time in the world behind his improved offensive line to find his plethora of weapons for consistent, substantial gains.

RECAP: It’s impossible to give you a confident pick at the moment. We simply don’t know the status of Jackson and all of the key defenders who have a chance to return this week. If Jackson and enough defenders return, I’ll be on the Ravens. If it’s just Jackson, but most of the defensive players are still out, I’ll side with the Bears. If no one on Baltimore returns, Chicago could be a big play for us.

Check back later in the week for an update on this selection!

THURSDAY THOUGHTS: The good news for the Ravens is that most of their defensive players returned to practice in some capacity. In fact, all but Marlon Humphrey practiced. The bad news is that while Lamar Jackson was limited in practice, he shared reps with Cooper Rush and Tyler Huntley.

The Motivation. Edge: None.

No edge found.

The Spread. Edge: TBA.

WalterFootball.com Calculated Spread: Ravens -5.5 (Jackson) or Bears -4.5 (no Jackson).

Westgate Advance Point Spread: Ravens -6.5.

Computer Model: Ravens -6.5 (Jackson) or Bears -3.5 (no Jackson).

The Vegas. Edge: TBA.

Equal action.

Percentage of money on Baltimore: 51% (22,000 bets)

The Trends. Edge: TBA.

Opening Line: Ravens -6.5.

Opening Total: 49.5.

Weather: .