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The Washington Commanders didn’t need Jayden Daniels to easily defeat the Carolina Panthers, but his potential rib injury looks large over this week’s odds. The rookie QB was hurt on his first drive of the game, likely after a 46-yard run on the first play that saw him go down awkwardly with several Panthers defenders. Daniels was x-rayed and returned to the sidelines in street clothes, smiling and waving to fans. His mother tweeted that he was fine, but Dan Quinn wouldn’t provide any updates until they did further testing.
The Commanders open up the week as 1.5-point underdogss against the Chicago Bears. This game was being billed as the battle of the top QB rookies, and was flexed from 1pm to 4:25 pm by CBS to give the matchup a bigger audience. If Daniels can’t go on Sunday, it will be Caleb Williams vs Marcus Mariota, a less appealing option for the networks. Mariota had a slow start, but opened it up quickly against a bad Panthers defense.
The O/U opens at 46.5, which is four points lower than the last two weeks. Washington remains the top team in the NFC East, and with only the Philadelphia Eagles looking like competition for the title.
Point spread: Commanders +1.5
Point total: 46.5
Moneyline: Bears -112, Commanders -104