Here's How the Bears Can Clinch the No. 1 Overall Draft Pick in Week 18

While the Chicago Bears have finally put together a plan for unlocking quarterback Justin Fields' talents, not much else has gone right for the franchise in 2022. Chicago heads into the final week of the season having long been eliminated from playoff contention with a dismal 3-13 record.

Fortunately, Week 18 could still be an important factor in the future of this storied franchise, as the Bears have an opportunity to clinch the No. 1 seed in the 2023 NFL Draft next weekend. Here's how:

Chicago Bears Draft Pick

It starts with a loss. There are very few situations in which fans of a certain team will root for that team to lose, but this is one of them. Chicago takes on the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. The Vikings are reportedly planning to rest some of their players, but they may have some playoff seeding left to factor into their playoff hunt.

The Bears are battling the Houston Texans for the worst record in the league, so they'll need to pay close attention to Houston's matchup with the Indianapolis Colts. If the Bears lose and the Texans win, then the No. 1 seed belongs to Chicago.

If both teams lose, however, the Texans retain the top spot in the draft.

Alabama's quarterback Bryce Young is largely considered the top prospect in this year's draft class, but the Bears already have a franchise quarterback in Fields. Accordingly, Chicago may opt to take Young's teammate Will Anderson Jr., an edge rusher who's considered the second-best pick at the moment.

FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds show the Bears as 2.5-point home underdogs in Week 18, while the Texans are 2.5-point road underdogs against the Colts.

Adam Taylor McKillop is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Adam Taylor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username atmckillop. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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