Thursday Night Football Betting Preview — October 22, 2026
Thursday’s schedule features New England at Chicago in the NFL, plus three college matchups: Liberty at Kennesaw State, James Madison at Appalachian State and East Carolina at Memphis.
NFL: New England Patriots at Chicago Bears
8:15 p.m. ET | Prime Video | Soldier Field
Odds: Chicago -3 | Total: 50.5.
SU ATS O/U
| New England | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 |
| Chicago | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–4 |
Last three games
| Team | Date | Opponent | Result | ATS result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | Oct. 18 | vs. Jets | W 26–19 | Lost, -7.5 |
| Patriots | Oct. 11 | vs. Raiders | W 45–17 | Covered, -3.5 |
| Patriots | Oct. 4 | at Buffalo | W 29–26 | Covered, +7.5 |
| Bears | Oct. 18 | at Atlanta | W 31–23 | Covered, -1.5 |
| Bears | Oct. 11 | at Green Bay | L 7–31 | Lost, -1.5 |
| Bears | Oct. 4 | vs. Jets | W 23–12 | Covered, -3.5 |
Last-game recap: New England won its third straight, beating the Jets 26–19. Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes without an interception, although two lost fumbles helped keep the game close. Chicago welcomed Caleb Williams back from a hamstring injury and defeated Atlanta 31–23. Williams completed 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown as Chicago built a 31–7 fourth-quarter lead before Atlanta rallied late.
Quarterback matchup: Maye enters with 1,463 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 63.9% completion rate. His recent improvement is substantial: 878 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception over the last three games. Williams has 712 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception, completing 72.5% across three appearances. His Atlanta performance showed how efficiently Chicago can operate with its starter healthy.
Coaching angles: Ben Johnson’s offense can test New England with formation changes, motion and different personnel packages. The bigger question for Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is how much protection they can provide Maye on a short week. New England’s offensive line sustained multiple injuries against the Jets, and receiver Romeo Doubs has gone on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Quick throws, additional protection and an effective running game become especially valuable.
Vrabel also brings a meaningful historical betting angle: 29–14 ATS as an underdog of three points or more.
Matchup history: These teams did not meet in 2025. New England won the previous meeting 19–3 at Chicago in 2024, covering as a 6.5-point underdog.
Prop Bets:
First TD scorer
Rhomondre Stevenson +700
Anytime TD scorer
Rome Odunze +180
Drake Maye +340
AJ Brown +145
College Football: Liberty at Kennesaw State
7 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Network | Fifth Third Stadium
Odds: Liberty -9.5 | Total: 50.5.
| SU | ATS | O/U | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 5–1 | 4–2 | 2–4 |
| Kennesaw State | 1–5 | 4–2 | 1–5 |
Last three games
| Date | Opponent | Result | ATS result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | Oct. 8 | vs. Sam Houston | W 35–3 | Covered, -13.5 |
| Liberty | Oct. 2 | at Delaware | W 30–14 | Covered, -6.5 |
| Liberty | Sept. 24 | at Coastal Carolina | W 34–17 | Covered, -2.5 |
| Kennesaw State | Oct. 14 | at Missouri State | L 21–24 | Lost, -2.5 |
| Kennesaw State | Oct. 7 | vs. Jacksonville State | L 26–27 | Covered, +2.5 |
| Kennesaw State | Sept. 26 | at Arkansas State | L 14–17 | Covered, +6.5 |
Last-game recap: Liberty overwhelmed Sam Houston 35–3 before its bye. Deshawn Purdie completed 10 of 14 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown, while Ethan Vasko added two rushing scores. The Flames controlled the game through their rushing attack and defense.
Kennesaw State suffered another narrow defeat, losing 24–21 at Missouri State on a field goal as time expired. Rickie Collins threw for 260 yards and a touchdown without an interception. Receiver Dylan Gary caught 10 passes for 135 yards and a score. The Owls’ last three losses have come by a combined seven points.
Quarterback matchup: Purdie gives Liberty a passer who has avoided interceptions this season, while Vasko supplies an additional rushing threat. Collins has thrown for 293 and 260 yards in his last two games, completing 50 of 68 passes combined. His recent accuracy gives Kennesaw a better chance to sustain possessions than its 1–5 record might suggest.
Coaching angles: Jamey Chadwell has extra preparation time: Liberty last played October 8, compared with October 14 for Kennesaw. Chadwell is 12–1 SU in Thursday games at the Division I level. Jerry Mack’s challenge is getting the Owls to finish games after three consecutive losses by three points or fewer.
Trends and series history: Liberty has covered four straight games. Kennesaw’s 4–2 ATS record shows how differently its season has played out for bettors compared with the standings. The Owls have won the last three series meetings, including 48–42 in double overtime at Liberty in 2025.
James Madison at Appalachian State
7 p.m. ET | ESPNU | Kidd Brewer Stadium
Odds: James Madison -10.5 | Total: 56.5.
| SU | ATS | O/U | |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Madison | 7–0 | 6–1 | 4–3 |
| Appalachian State | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 |
Last three games
| Team | Date | Opponent | Result | ATS result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JMU | Oct. 17 | vs. Georgia State | W 49–22 | Covered, -7.5 |
| JMU | Oct. 10 | at Georgia Southern | W 27–24 | Lost, -7.5 |
| JMU | Oct. 3 | vs. Marshall | W 45–17 | Covered, -14.5 |
| App State | Oct. 16 | at Coastal Carolina | W 35–32 | Covered, -1.5 |
| App State | Oct. 10 | vs. Old Dominion | L 3–10 | Lost, -8.5 |
| App State | Sept. 26 | at NC State | L 31–41 | Covered, +12.5 |
Last-game recap: JMU remained unbeaten with a 49–22 victory over Georgia State, producing 515 total yards. Camden Coleman and JC Evans combined for three passing touchdowns and two rushing scores. George Pettaway added 119 rushing yards, his fourth consecutive 100-yard performance.
App State erased a 24–14 halftime deficit to beat Coastal Carolina 35–32. Jaquari Lewis scored four rushing touchdowns, while Henry Hasselbeck played the entire second half and finished with 125 rushing yards on 21 attempts. The Mountaineers generated 516 total yards.
Quarterback matchup: Coleman has 1,335 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and one interception, with Evans also contributing in JMU’s rotation. App State’s Malachi Singleton has 1,429 passing yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions, but his ankle injury makes availability and mobility important considerations. The school’s latest preview listed him questionable and confirmed that he split snaps with Hasselbeck last week.
Coaching angles: First-year JMU coach Billy Napier has maintained an unbeaten start with a balanced offense and a defense allowing 16 points per game. Second-year App State coach Dowell Loggains must determine the right quarterback workload while preparing for a JMU rushing attack averaging 223.7 yards. App State has one additional day between games and a sold-out home stadium.
Trends and series history: JMU is 6–1 ATS and won last year’s meeting 58–10, covering -20.5. However, App State won the previous two meetings in 2023 and 2024. JMU has scored at least 45 points in three of its last four games; the total has moved down from an opening 57.5 to 56.5.
East Carolina at Memphis
7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2 | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium
Odds: Memphis -10.5 | Total: 54.5
| Team | SU | ATS | O/U |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Carolina | 3–3 | 2–4 | 1–5 |
| Memphis | 5–2 | 4–3 | 4–3 |
Last three games
| Team | Date | Opponent | Result | ATS result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECU | Oct. 15 | at UAB | L 17–30, OT | Lost, -5.5 |
| ECU | Oct. 10 | vs. Rice | W 28–12 | Covered, -9.5 |
| ECU | Sept. 26 | vs. North Carolina Central | W 42–9 | Lost, -37.5 |
| Memphis | Oct. 16 | at Tulane | L 17–31 | Lost, -6.5 |
| Memphis | Oct. 10 | vs. UAB | W 38–13 | Covered, -15.5 |
| Memphis | Oct. 3 | at Charlotte | W 59–8 | Covered, -18.5 |
Last-game recap: ECU let a late lead slip away at UAB before losing 30–17 in overtime. Emory Williams completed 18 of 27 passes for 126 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The Pirates’ limited passing production again left little margin for error.
Memphis lost 31–17 at Tulane despite outgaining the Green Wave 488–325. Six turnovers repeatedly erased scoring opportunities. Marcus Stokes threw for 306 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, and Memphis scored on only one of five second-half possessions that reached the red zone.
Quarterback matchup: Williams has 655 passing yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions after taking over from Mitch Griffis. Stokes brings the more productive season line: 1,841 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. ECU needs Williams to create enough passing offense to prevent Memphis from concentrating on the running game. Stokes needs cleaner decisions after last week’s turnover problems.
Coaching angles: First-year Memphis coach Charles Huff faces a response test after his first conference defeat with the Tigers. His emphasis should be ball security and finishing drives. ECU coach Blake Harrell’s team needs more from an offense whose passing inconsistency has persisted despite the quarterback change. ECU has seven days between games; Memphis has six.
Upcoming and Current Events at ATS:
- ATS Football is set for a huge run! If you want to test the waters, call or email us about our big weekend.
- Hockey wins big for again for the week and has now won over 30 units over the last two weeks.
- Basketball tips off on October 20 and has won 2 of 3 days. College Basketball tips off on Nov. 2. Last season, we opened winning 4 of the last 5 weeks and ended winning 6 of the last 7. Don’t miss this season as the Lock Club is projected to set records!
- Baseball Playoffs win for the third straight week!