Chicago Bears at Oakland Raiders: Week 5 Prediction

The Chicago Bears at Oakland Raiders game is going to be an interesting one. With it involving an NFC team and AFC team, there shouldn't be a lot of heat involved. It'll also be played in London, so technically this won't be a true home game for the Raiders. If anything it's the other way around given the strong presence the Bears have had in that city ever since it was swept up by the '85 team. In truth, there are a lot of variables going into this game that make it hard to predict.

Historically the Bears and Raiders have always played close games. Their last meeting in 2015 ended in a 22-20 nailbiter decided by a last-second Robbie Gould field goal. So this could easily follow that same trend. What should fans expect? Here is a look at how things stack up and who holds the advantage.

Chicago Bears at Oakland Raiders in London breakdown

Storylines:

Khalil Mack homecoming - People may try to force-feed other stories into this game, but they'd be wasting their time. The entire focus of Sunday will be the best defensive player in the NFL get a chance to play the team that abruptly traded him away last year because he wanted more money than they were willing to pay. Oakland has tried to say they did everything possible to make it work. The reality is though they were too afraid of the cap issues such a deal would've created.

That and new head coach Jon Gruden has a long history of not liking to pay defensive players big money. In the end, Mack was dealt to Chicago who quickly gave him the contract he wanted. Since then he has 17 sacks and 10 forced fumbles. Oakland, as a team, has 18 sacks over that same span. Mack hasn't dodged any of the questions regarding this game. It's a big one for him and he plans to remind the Raiders what they gave away.

Injuries:

Mitch Trubisky (shoulder) - After dislocating his left shoulder against the Vikings, the Bears starter is out for the game in London. This puts the offense in the hands of veteran backup Chase Daniel. He played well in relief against the Vikings and has proven serviceable in the past. Provided he gets good protection from the offensive line. It will be interesting to see how the Raiders try to take advantage of this.

Tyrell Williams (foot) - Even if Williams tries to give it a go against the Bears, he most certainly won't be at 100%. The big wide receiver has not practiced all week due to a foot injury. He's been declared questionable and it would be a surprise if he plays. If he doesn't, that's a huge loss for their passing game. Williams is their biggest scoring threat with four touchdowns. The rest of the receiving corps has two combined.

Key matchups:

Roquan Smith vs. Darren Waller - The breakout star on offense for the Raiders has been tight end Darren Waller with 320 yards receiving. His mixture of 6'6 size and considerable athleticism has created matchup problems for opposing defenses. That's why the return of linebacker Roquan Smith is so big for the Bears. His ability to drop in coverage and handle tight ends could be crucial in this game.

Allen Robinson vs. Gareon Conley - Despite the inconsistencies at quarterback, the Bears have gotten great play from wide receiver Allen Robinson. His stats don't tell the entire story at all. His 16 first down conversions do. The guy has been money on key downs. Controlling him is vital for the Raiders defense and it will likely fall on the shoulders of Gareon Conley who's had some really good moments this year, but also some rough ones too.

Prediction: Bears win 21-12

Don't expect the Bears offense to light things up in this one. Daniel will most likely be efficient, make the right reads and put together a few nice drives. He won't put up a lot of points though. Just enough to cover the Bears defense who will continue to frustrate another opponent. Oakland isn't a bad offense, but they are a short-handed one with their best wide receiver likely out. Not to mention a key offensive lineman in Richie Incognito. Chicago won't win with style, but they'll win all the same.