Week 8 preview: Seahawks vs Bears, prediction, odds and injury report

By Kyle Alm. Published 2026-10-26, updated 2026-11-02.

Our pick: Seattle 23, Chicago 20. Why. Not advice.

Final: Bears 34, Seahawks 17. We picked Seattle 23-20 and leaned under 46.5. Both were wrong: Chicago won by 17, and the 51 points went over. The preview said Seattle covers if it keeps Darnold clean and turns third downs into touchdowns, and that Chicago can win it if Cross is out and the pass rush gets home. Cross was out, Darnold was sacked three times, and Seattle converted 1 of 11 third downs and scored one touchdown in four red-zone trips, while Chicago scored on all four of its own. Seattle lost as a 3-point favorite in DraftKings’ final number in ESPN’s game data (Seattle -3, total 46.5). The recap has what decided it; the preview below is as written before kickoff.

Seattle is 4-3 after beating unbeaten Kansas City 20-3 on Sunday night, with a defense that allowed one field goal and 213 yards and an offense that converted 11 of 16 third downs. Chicago is 5-2 and has won two straight since Caleb Williams came back from his hamstring injury, 31-23 at Atlanta and 30-24 at home against New England on Thursday, October 22. This is the first look, written the morning after the Chiefs game. Kickoff is Monday, November 2, at 5:15 p.m. Pacific on ESPN at Lumen Field. We will update it with the practice reports from Thursday and the line through the week.

The injury picture

For a Monday game the practice reports come Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and the game statuses on Saturday, October 31. Thursday’s and Friday’s reports are in for both teams (Chicago’s Thursday report was an estimate; the Bears did not practice), and so are both teams’ final reports with game statuses. The day-by-day table is on the injury report.

Seattle. Three players did not finish the Chiefs game, per the club: receiver Rashid Shaheed (knee), who did not play in the second half, running back Velus Jones Jr. (hamstring), and left tackle Charles Cross (ankle), hurt in the fourth quarter. On Monday, on Seattle Sports 710 AM, Mike Macdonald said of Shaheed: “Rashid, early returns are positive. Any time the knee’s involved, you’re holding your breath, so right now, let’s just say it’s positive.” The club reports the team is still waiting on imaging of Cross’s ankle, so there is no update on him yet. Quarterback Drew Lock (elbow) was inactive and dressed as the emergency third quarterback; Macdonald: “Not sure on the severity or how long it’s going to be.” Anthony Bradford played right guard in his return from injured reserve and “got through the game well,” Macdonald said. Running back Zach Charbonnet and linebackers Drake Thomas, Chazz Surratt and Connor O’Toole were inactive against Kansas City. Charbonnet will practice in full this week, and whether he makes his 2026 debut is not decided: “He’s still going to practice in a full capacity, then we’ll evaluate as the week goes on and go from there,” Macdonald said. Rookie running back Jadarian Price, eligible to come off injured reserve, will return to practice this week; “game status and all that, we don’t know yet,” Macdonald said (club report). At his Monday afternoon press conference, Macdonald said of Cross, “Charles has an ankle. We’ll see how long it’s going to be,” and on whether injured reserve is possible, “We haven’t had that conversation yet.” Of Jones: “We’re not sure the severity.” Of Price and Charbonnet: “Could they both play? Yes. Could neither play? Yes. Could either one play? Yes.” (club report). On Thursday Seattle designated Price for return to practice from injured reserve, after four games out with a chest injury (club report). Tight end Elijah Arroyo (shoulder) is on injured reserve. On Thursday’s report, Cross, Shaheed, Jones and linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (ankle) did not practice and Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a rest day; ten were limited, including Price (chest), Lock (right elbow), Drake Thomas (ankle), Surratt (calf), O’Toole (hamstring) and, new to the report, defensive tackle Leonard Williams (Achilles), with DeMarcus Lawrence limited for rest; Charbonnet (knee), new guard Quenton Nelson (knee) and fullback Brady Russell (wrist) were full (club report). Nelson will play left guard and Grey Zabel moves to right guard, Macdonald confirmed, with Bradford the backup at both guard spots (club report). On Friday Price, O’Toole, Surratt, Thomas and Williams were upgraded to full, and Smith-Njigba and Lawrence were full; Bradford (knee) and linebacker Patrick O’Connell (toe) did not practice after being limited Thursday, Charbonnet went from full to limited, and two defensive tackles were added, Byron Murphy II (back, limited) and Brandon Pili (back, did not practice). Cross, Shaheed, Jones and Nwosu did not practice for the second straight day (club report). Seattle’s final report, posted Saturday evening, rules out Cross, Shaheed and Jones, lists Nwosu as doubtful, and Bradford, Lock, O’Connell and Pili as questionable; Charbonnet and Price have no designation (club report). Macdonald said Charbonnet will make his 2026 debut, Price would need a roster move on Monday to play, and “Josh will play left tackle” in Cross’s place (club report). On Monday afternoon Seattle activated Price from injured reserve, waived running back Robert Henry Jr. to make room, and elevated receiver Montorie Foster Jr. and tackle Bobby Hart from the practice squad (club report).

Chicago. The Bears placed tight end Cole Kmet on injured reserve on October 23 with a knee injury from the Patriots game, and the club now reports he is out for the rest of the season; rookie Sam Roush is the only tight end behind Colston Loveland on the 53-man roster (club report). Defensive end Montez Sweat is back this week from a two-game league suspension. Williams, who hurt his right hamstring against Minnesota in Week 2 and missed the next three games, has started the last two. Safety Coby Bryant, a Seahawk through last season, is still recovering from knee surgery in early August; on Wednesday Ben Johnson said “we’re still a little ways away from him doing the change-of-direction stuff” (club report). On Thursday evening the Bears announced the acquisition of All-Pro defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons from Tennessee for two first-round picks and a fourth (club announcement); he is not on any of Chicago’s three reports this week. Chicago’s Thursday report was an estimate, since the Bears did not practice: running back Kyle Monangai (thumb, toe) would not have practiced, linebacker D’Marco Jackson (ankle) and cornerback Malik Muhammad (toe) would have been limited, and linebackers T.J. Edwards (hamstring) and Jack Sanborn (concussion) full. On Friday Loveland (neck) was added as limited and Jackson did not practice. Chicago’s final report, on Saturday, rules Monangai out for a fourth straight game and lists Muhammad (toe), limited all week, and Jackson, full on Saturday, as questionable; Edwards returns after missing two games, and Loveland, full on Saturday, and Sanborn have no designation. Of Loveland, Ben Johnson said, “We’re hoping it’s a minor thing” (club report).

What the Bears have done

Chicago won 59-37 at Carolina in Week 1, lost 9-3 at home to Minnesota, beat Philadelphia 27-7 and the Jets 23-12 at home without Williams, lost 31-7 at Green Bay, then won at Atlanta and against New England. That is 180 points scored and 143 allowed, per ESPN’s game data. Since his return Williams has completed 52 of 69 passes for 613 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, though he was sacked seven times in the two games. Rookie receiver Luther Burden III caught eight passes for 95 yards at Atlanta and four for 130 and a touchdown against New England, and tight end Colston Loveland has 13 catches and two touchdowns in the two games. D’Andre Swift ran for two touchdowns at Atlanta and one against New England.

The turnovers have swung with the quarterback. Chicago gave the ball away five times in the loss at Green Bay, with Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent sharing the job, and has given it away 11 times in seven games against 10 takeaways. With Williams back it had one giveaway in two games.

The matchups that decide it

Seattle’s defense against Williams. Seattle has allowed 125 points in seven games, 17.9 a game, and just held Patrick Mahomes to 165 passing yards and no touchdowns. Williams has thrown for more than 300 yards in each of his two games back. Something gives.

Seattle’s protection, again. Darnold was sacked ten times in the losses to San Francisco and Denver and not once against Kansas City. Chicago has 19 sacks in seven games, five of them at Atlanta. If Cross misses time, the protection story starts over.

The red zone. Seattle was 0 for 3 inside the 20 against Kansas City, with two short field goals and an interception in the end zone. Macdonald named it as one of the things still to fix. Against an offense that has scored 30 or more in both games since Williams came back, field goals may not be enough.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Nine catches for 150 yards and a touchdown against Kansas City, his sixth 100-yard game in seven, and the league lead in touchdown catches with eight, per the club.

The line

As of Saturday, October 31, at 2:23 p.m. Pacific, DraftKings has Seattle by 3, total 46.5, moneyline Seattle -170 and Chicago +142, per ESPN’s game data. As of Tuesday, October 27, at 6:37 a.m. Pacific, it had Seattle by 3.5 with the same total and moneyline; on Monday morning it had Seattle by 3. VegasInsider’s consensus at 6:38 a.m. Tuesday was also Seattle -3.5 and 46.5; Bet365, DraftKings and Kalshi have Seattle -3.5, and BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel, Hard Rock and Fanatics -3. It opened Seattle -4.5 with a total of 47.5. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Seattle a 54.7 percent chance. At 3, our 23-20 pick below would be a push against the spread; at Tuesday’s 3.5 it was a Seattle win that does not cover. The week’s injury reports can still move it, and the Seahawks odds page has Seattle’s record against the number: 2-3-2 against the spread through seven games, with four of seven under the total.

Washington allows sports betting only in person at tribal casinos, and there is no legal online sportsbook in the state. We carry no sportsbook advertising, and the numbers are here because fans ask, not as advice.

Prediction

Seattle 23, Chicago 20. Seattle’s defense has held five of seven opponents to 23 points or fewer and is coming off its best game of the season, at home, on a Monday night. Chicago’s offense has scored 31 and 30 with Williams back, and Seattle’s red-zone trouble keeps the margin small. If Seattle keeps Darnold clean and turns the third-down work into touchdowns, it covers; if Cross is out and the pass rush gets home, Chicago can win it. We lean under 46.5: four of Seattle’s seven games have gone under, and its last two produced 31 and 23 points. Not advice. We revisit the pick after Saturday’s game status reports.

Revisited Monday morning, November 2. Both final reports are in. Cross is out, the risk named above, with Josh Jones at left tackle, and Charbonnet is back. We keep Seattle 23, Chicago 20, which is a push at Monday morning’s 3, and the lean to the under on 46.5. Not advice.

The game day guide has the ESPN and FOX 13 details, tickets and getting to Lumen Field. Our Week 7 recap has how the Kansas City game was won, and our scouting report from the Eagles game has what Chicago looked like without Williams.

Related: Week 8 recap: Bears 34, Seahawks 17 · Seahawks vs Bears game day guide: Monday Night Football at Lumen Field · Week 7 recap: Seahawks 20, Chiefs 3 · injury report · Seahawks odds: this week's line and the 2026 record against the spread · Monday Night Football, Eagles at Bears: a first look at Seattle's Nov. 2 opponent · Week 7 preview: Seahawks vs Chiefs, prediction, odds and injury report · news