It’s been 73 days since we last saw some NFL action when the Rams beat the Bengals in Super Bowl 56. In that time, a lot has changed for our Bears during the offseason. From the complete overhaul of the Chicago Bears coaching staff, to saying goodbye to some veterans, and introducing new faces via free agency, things are quite different for us in 2022. And the changes are only going to continue as we head into the 2022 NFL draft and first Chicago Bears draft for new GM Ryan Poles!

When Do The Chicago Bears Draft?

As it currently sits this year, the Chicago Bears draft pick selections are as follows:

Second Round

Pick 39

Pick 48

Third Round

Pick 71

Fifth Round

Pick 148

Pick 150

Sixth Round

Pick 186

It’s the third time in the past four NFL drafts that the Bears won’t start draft night with a pick in the first round. Now, they could make a move or two to get themselves into round one. But, with Poles in charge, we think they might stay put this year. He already acquired the 48th pick in the draft after trading away Khalil Mack to the Chargers earlier in the offseason. Poles clearly understands our need for draft capital, and by not making a move to get in the first round, he’ll make it equally clear that he’s not here to waste any future capital or assets.

What Are Some Bears Needs?

The ultimate goal for any team in the NFL draft is to improve and build in areas they need it most. When it comes to the Chicago Bears draft picks, Poles should be looking to acquire a mix of receivers, offensive lineman, and cornerbacks.

So which position will the Chicago Bears draft first?

Our bet is a wide receiver or an offensive lineman with pick 39. For the wide receiver class in this year’s draft, the Bears have plenty of options. Now, with pick 39, it’s unlikely they’ll have their choice at some of the top wideouts available, but they can still find plenty of value. Many mock drafts and NFL draft experts think that guys like Skyy Moore from Western Michigan or George Pickens from Georgia will be available for the Bears to draft at 39. Pickens is an interesting choice if he’s still an option. He missed most of his 2021 college season due to an injury, but he has plenty of potential to be a WR1 if he can develop and get back to form.

As for the offensive lineman, names like Bernhard Raimann from Central Michigan and Tyler Smith from Tulsa are projected to be available when the Bears first pick comes around. Raimann will be a bit older than most rookies as he turns 25 in September, but he’s got plenty of awareness and quickness that will allow him to accel in the NFL once he gets stronger and improves his technique. Smith might be a better value pick for the second Chicago Bears draft pick at 48. He’s got all the physical capabilities in the world, and if the Bears go with Smith, they’ll have to be prepared to develop and work with him so he can reach his full potential.

Whether it’s a wide receiver or offensive lineman, it’s pretty clear for Poles and the rest of the franchise that they need to build around Justin Fields and set him up for success as best as they can.

How To Watch The 2022 NFL Draft

The 2022 NFL Draft is set to begin on April 28 at 7 P.M. CT. The draft will air on ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, which means you can watch the entire event online, through one of the platform’s streaming apps, or via cable if you have access to those channels. 

Round 1 will take place the entire first night of the draft followed by rounds 2 and 3 on April 29 at 6 P.M. CT, with rounds 4-7 taking place on Saturday, April 30 starting at 11 A.M.

Only time will tell to see who the Bears go with in 2022, and we can’t wait to see how Poles does with his first Chicago Bears draft! #BearDown

Featured Image Credit: Justin Fields’ Instagram

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Organizing a bachelor party can be a pain, but if you’ve chosen Chicago as your destination then you’ve at least got the location right. This vibrant city is well suited to unforgettable nights out, so the foundations of your shindig are solid.

To make sure everything goes off without a hitch, here is an overview of the other aspects you’ll need to factor into your bachelor party preparations.

Transport is crucial

Whatever you plan to do during the bachelor party, it’s much easier to keep the group together and get from place to place if you have organized the transport well in advance.

For example, by booking a Chicago car service, you can effectively have a chauffeur on hand to ferry you around throughout the trip.

It might seem like an unnecessary expense, but in reality you’ll appreciate the convenience far more than any potential cost saving.

Accommodation is important

Everyone will need somewhere to sleep off the excess of the night before, so booking a hotel is also a primary concern for any bachelor party planner.

Luckily there’s all sorts of affordable accommodation in Chicago, and this is an area that you really don’t need to allocate too much of your budget, since you’ll not be spending much time in the rooms.

You could also choose an AirBnB instead, although this comes with its downsides, such as having to potentially put down a hefty deposit, and deal with hosts who might not be that keen on bachelor party guests descending upon their carefully prepared rooms.

Plotting out bars to visit will avoid indecision

While you can just turn up in Chicago and follow your nose to find great places to grab a drink, this is a bad idea for a bachelor party.

It’s better to choose the places you’re going to visit for a few beverages and get everyone onboard with the itinerary sooner rather than later.

If you want lots of bars within close walking distance of one another, Logan Square is a neighborhood worth checking out. If you want higher end establishments, the Magnificent Mile will be more your speed.

Basically, it’s a good idea to gauge the vibe of the evening based on the groom’s own personality and the types of guests that are on the list of attendees, as well as the agreed upon budget. This can inform your choice of watering holes, as well as many other aspects of the trip.

Planning activities will break up the day

The temptation to head straight from the hotel to the bar and stay there might be strong, but a bachelor party in Chicago can be built on more than alcohol alone.

The city offers so many amazing activities to help you bond as a group, from escape rooms to crazy golf courses and even cruises down the river or out onto the lake.

Again, set a reasonable budget and speak to other guests beforehand so you know how far you can push it in terms of booking activities.

Don’t forget about food!

Lastly, be sure to arrange for food stops throughout the bachelor party, as a liquid diet isn’t going to lead to good things by the end of the evening.

Digging into deep dish pizza at the iconic Pequod’s, for example, can set you up for the rest of the party, and will also give you that authentic Chicago restaurant experience that everyone will remember.

If in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask the groom what they want out of the experience, as this could avoid uncertainty and prevent disappointment as well.

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In his pre-draft press conference Tuesday, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles covered a lot about his strategy for the 2022 NFL Draft.

We learned that Poles is fairly committed to trading back and acquiring more draft picks, which will be sure to make fans happy when that comes to fruition.

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Needing a win to keep their season alive, the Chicago Bulls have ruled out guards Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso for Wednesday’s Game 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

LaVine will not play after entering the NBA’s health and safety protocols Tuesday. Bulls coach Billy Donovan had said LaVine was not feeling great Tuesday morning, and the two-time All-Star did not travel with the team to Milwaukee later that day.

Caruso entered the concussion protocol after he took an inadvertent hit to the face from the Bucks’ Jevon Carter while trying to get around a pick by Giannis Antetokounmpo late in the second quarter of Sunday’s Game 4.

Milwaukee holds a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. LaVine is averaging 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists in the series, while Caruso, arguably Chicago’s best defender, has chipped in 6.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists against the Bucks.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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The Chicago Cubs couldn’t find any offense on Tuesday, falling 3-1 in Atlanta. Here are three takeaways from the game.

The Chicago Cubs couldn’t solve Braves starter Max Fried, scoring just one run in Tuesday’s 3-1 loss. Three takeaways from the game.

1. Marcus Stroman turns in first quality start

Looking to rebound from two forgettable starts, Marcus Stroman gave the Cubs a quality start. In all, the 30-year-old went 6.0 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) while fanning three batters and not walking anyone.

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Jump ahead: Game of the night | Picks and props | Analytics edge

All odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook.

What you need to know for Wednesday’s playoff games

Take What They Give You: The Bucks are a top-three defense in opposing 3-point percentage. Nikola Vucevic has been more than happy to oblige in this series and has averaged 8.3 3PA per game. Chicago’s backcourt is far from healthy at the moment, so Vucevic will get all of the usage he can handle, something that makes him a viable prop target and DFS staple in this win-or-go-home spot.

Chicago Deep Dish: The Bulls could be without Alex Caruso and Zach LaVine tonight. LaVine paced the team with a whopping 22 potential assists in Game 4, while Caruso netted four dimes in just 17 minutes before he suffered his injury. With LaVine and Caruso both questionable, DeMar DeRozan‘s assist prop and DFS lineups including Ayo Dosunmu appear inviting. For those seeking some underrated scoring upside, Patrick Williams delivered his first career playoff double-double on Sunday and should be busy Wednesday night.

Air Gordon: The Warriors’ newly formed lineup is potent, to say the least, but it does open up some matchup advantages for Aaron Gordon. In Game 4, he played a series-high 35 minutes, took 11 shots from the field, and made more free throws (10) than he had attempted over the first three games of the series (7). Gordon’s ceiling is only so high as he shares a frontcourt with Nikola Jokic, but his impressive stat line on Sunday (21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks) didn’t happen by accident. He may be relied upon heavily again Wednesday night.

Joker’s Scoring: It is clear that the Nuggets’ offense funnels through Jokic. While the team relies on his generational passing talent to produce clean shots for others, it’s become necessary for him to do more scoring damage of his own. He has delivered 37 points in each of the past two contests against the Warriors, lofting at least 20 shots in each game of the series. Jokic’s scoring prop of 30.5 points appears achievable.

Getting Grayson: The Bucks will be without Khris Middleton for the next few weeks, which increases Grayson Allen‘s offensive responsibility. Allen delivered 27 points on just 12 shots in 28 minutes in Sunday’s win, evidence he will likely be tasked with more shooting and scoring opportunities in Game 5. Allen also has value as a parlay target. He’s in a good spot to sink multiple 3-pointers given he has made 11 over the past two games while registering four steals.

— Jim McCormick & Kyle Soppe

Game of the night

Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors
10 p.m ET, Chase Center, San Francisco, CA

Line: Warriors (-9)
Money line: Warriors (-440), Nuggets (+340)
Total: 226 points
BPI Projected Total: 229 points
BPI Win%: Warriors (67.3%)

Questionable: None

Ruled Out: None
Note: BPI numbers factor in players who are ruled out but assume questionable players will play

Notable: The Warriors have covered both games in Golden State during this series, a good sign after they had failed to cover eight of their previous 10 home playoff games.

Compete for $40,000 throughout the NBA postseason! Make Your Picks

Best bet: Warriors -9. While the Nuggets showed pride by staving off the sweep in Game 4, they played about as well as they were able to in Denver, while the Warriors have plenty of room to improve. With the series returning to the Bay Area, I’m looking for a bounce-back effort from the newest Splash Brother, Jordan Poole, and a comfortable Warriors victory — Andre Snellings

Best bet: The Nuggets avoided a sweep by stealing Game 4 on their home floor, but that should be the only win they notch in this series. With the series returning back to Chase Center, Golden State should close this out in dominant fashion. Yes, nine points is a lot to lay, but Golden State won Game 1 at home by 16 and Game 2 at home by 20. The Warriors’ 125.4 offensive rating this postseason is by far the best of any team in these playoffs, and they should be able to ride that and the home crowd to a double-digit win — Tyler Fulghum

Breaking down the rest of the slate

Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks
7:30 p.m ET, Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee

Line: Bucks (-12)
Money line: Bucks (-800), Bulls (+550)
Total: 218 points
BPI Projected Total: 221.4 points
BPI Win%: Bucks (83.1%)

Questionable: Alex Caruso (concussion)

Ruled Out: Zach LaVine (health and safety protocols), Khris Middleton (MCL Sprain)
Note: BPI numbers factor in players who are ruled out but assume questionable players will play

Notable: The Bucks are 8-2 ATS in their past 10 playoff games that have gone under the total.

Best bet: Bucks -12. This is a huge number for a spread, but this game just shapes up as a blowout. Khris Middleton‘s injury seems to have caused the Bucks to play more to their strength: their overwhelming size advantage. The Bulls just don’t have an answer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez and have lost the past two games by a total of 54 points. Now the series returns to Milwaukee, and the Bulls may potentially be without Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso, which could make the matchup even more lopsided — Snellings

1 Related

Best bet: Bobby Portis over 10.5 rebounds. Portis has grabbed double-digit rebounds in all three of the games that he played in this series, totaling 38 boards. While he had only 10 last game, he seems motivated to play well against his former team. If the game becomes a blowout, Portis seems more likely to get extra minutes than his veteran frontcourt mates. — Snellings

Analytics edge

BPI highest projected totals

1. Golden State Warriors (117)
2. Milwaukee Bucks (116.1)
3. Denver Nuggets (112)

BPI lowest projected totals

1. Chicago Bulls (105.3)
2. Denver Nuggets (116.1)
3. Milwaukee Bucks (116.1)

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When the Chicago Cubs initially signed Jason Heyward following the 2015 season, he was coming off a year in which he hit .293 to go along with 33 doubles with the St. Louis Cardinals. Since then, the Cubs have been waiting for Heyward to live up to his contract.

And waiting. And waiting.

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